high jinks

American  

[hahy-jingks] / ˈhaɪˌdʒɪŋks /

Or hijinks

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. boisterous celebration or merrymaking; unrestrained fun.

   The city is full of conventioneers indulging in their usual high jinks.

   Synonyms:

   horseplay

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high jinks British  

/ ˈhaɪˌdʒɪŋks /

noun

1. lively enjoyment

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high jinks Idioms  

1. Playful or rowdy activity, often involving mischievous pranks. For example, All sorts of high jinks go on at summer camp after “lights out.” About 1700 this term denoted a gambling game accompanied by much drinking, but by the mid-1800s it acquired its present meaning.

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Etymology

Origin of high jinks

First recorded in 1760–70; see origin at jink

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

high jinks

Mr. Bicket paced the orchestra buoyantly, matching the high jinks on stage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Joining with the main cast, the new Buzzes enact the series’ trademark high jinks about the silly maneuvering it takes for toys to traverse the types of barriers that humans can easily negotiate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 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

The audience at the Saturday matinee audience I attended was filled with young people who seemed delighted by the rambunctious high jinks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2024

Smith’s high jinks with the press and Seabiscuit’s recent history of scratches had come back to haunt him.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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Related Words

• antic
• horseplay
• prank

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