jinks

British  

/ dʒɪŋks /

plural noun

1. boisterous or mischievous play (esp in the phrase high jinks )

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jinks Idioms  

1. see high jinks.

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Etymology

Origin of jinks

C18: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

A lot of time-travel high jinks follow, familiar in their broad outlines but unconventional and highly entertaining in their specifics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

I loved watching Van Dyke’s character, Rob Petrie, manage high jinks at work and home.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026

Certainly the high jinks have caught the attention of those in Australia, who have put the sandpaper down long enough to have their say on England's morals.

From BBC • Jul. 30, 2025

Yet the comic high jinks, star-crossed lovers and long-lost relatives that pop up in his play “The Miser,” first produced in 1668, will be instantly familiar to anybody who has ever seen a Shakespeare comedy.

From New York Times • May 3, 2024

“Well, Lance,” said Arthur cheerfully, “these are some high jinks, and no mistake about it Jenny can hardly sit still, with all her captives.”

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White