pratfall

English

Alternative forms

• prat-fall, pratt-fall

Etymology

From prat (“buttock”) +‎ fall.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

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Noun

pratfall (plural pratfalls)

1. A fall onto the buttocks.
2. A humiliating mistake.

   Synonyms: blunder, howler

3. A staged trip or fall, often for comedic purposes.

   The motivational speaker started with a pratfall so he could speak about the importance of getting back up.

   • 2026 August 20, John Bleasdale, “The strange death of sex in the movies”, in The New World, number 495, →ISSN, page 31:

     To begin with, satire demands humour and, aside from two well-placed pratfalls, this doesn't really do it.

Derived terms

• pratfall effect

Translations

a fall onto the buttocks

• Bulgarian: падане по задник n (padane po zadnik)
• Galician: cuada (gl) f
• Korean: 엉덩방아 (eongdeongbang'a)
• Russian: паде́ние на зад n (padénije na zad)

Verb

pratfall (third-person singular simple present pratfalls, present participle pratfalling, simple past pratfell, past participle pratfallen)

1. To fall on to the buttocks.

Derived terms

• prat-fallen
• prat-falling

Translations

to fall on to the buttocks