noun

April Fools' Day

AY-pruhl FOOLZ DAY

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April Fools' Day (noun) means 1 April, a day on which people traditionally play tricks and tell invented stories, with the custom in many countries that the joking stops at noon. Example: “The newspaper ran a spoof story about square eggs for April Fools' Day.”

noun

1 April, a day on which people traditionally play tricks and tell invented stories, with the custom in many countries that the joking stops at noon.

"The newspaper ran a spoof story about square eggs for April Fools' Day."

"Nobody believed the engagement announcement because it came out on April Fools' Day."

How to use April Fools' Day

Learner’s notes

In plain English1 April, the day people play tricks on each other.

When to use it

Neutral; capitalised as a proper noun.

Memory tip

A person who is tricked is called an April fool, in lower case except at the start of a sentence.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

April fool hoax →

Common pairings

an April Fools' Day prank fall for an April Fools' Day hoax April Fools' Day stunt

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The newspaper ran a spoof story about square eggs for _____.

Etymology

From April fool, a person tricked on that date; the custom is recorded in Britain from the seventeenth century, but its origin is genuinely unknown and the popular explanations linking it to calendar reform are unverified.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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April Fool's Day All Fools' Day

Rhymes for April Fools' Day

ay may day say ray hay lay pay jay way yay nay

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Frequently asked questions

Is it April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day?

Both spellings are in print and neither is wrong. "April Fools' Day" is the more common form and treats the day as belonging to all the fools; "April Fool's Day" treats it as the day of the individual fool who is tricked.

Why does the joking have to stop at midday?

In Britain and Ireland there is a long-standing convention that pranks played after noon rebound on the person playing them, who then becomes the fool. It is a custom rather than a rule, and it is not observed in most other countries.

Where did April Fools' Day come from?

Nobody knows. The frequently repeated story that it began when France moved New Year from late March to 1 January has no contemporary evidence behind it, and historians treat the origin as unsettled.

What is the meaning of April Fools' Day?

"April Fools' Day" (noun) means 1 April, a day on which people traditionally play tricks and tell invented stories, with the custom in many countries that the joking stops at noon.