jink

American  

[jingk] / dʒɪŋk /

noun

1. jinks, prankish or frolicsome activities.

2. British Dialect. chink

---

jink British  

/ dʒɪŋk /

verb

1. to move swiftly or jerkily or make a quick turn in order to dodge or elude

---

noun

1. a jinking movement

Usage

What does jink mean? The noun jink is most often used in the plural form jinks to refer to prankish or mischievous activities. Jinks is rarely used, except for in the much more common term high jinks (also commonly spelled hijinks), which refers to playful, mischievous, or rowdy activity. High jinks usually implies a combination of fun and mischief. Activities that are called high jinks are often silly and mischievous and they may be rowdy, but they’re usually not harmful. They include things like minor pranks or the kinds of activities done during a happily unrestrained celebration. Sometimes, the term refers to a series of silly or chaotic events or interactions. This is especially the case in the phrase high jinks ensue, as in The movie is about a man who has to adopt 11 ostriches—high jinks ensue. However, high jinks is sometimes used in a more negative way to refer to mischief or wrongdoing that’s absurd or incompetent, as in The administration is up to its usual high jinks again—luckily they’re too inept to pull any of it off. The word jink can also be used as a verb meaning to move quickly or in a jerky motion to elude or avoid something. It can also be used as a noun referring to such a movement. These senses of the word are also not commonly used. A much more common word that means the same thing is juke. The plural jinks should not be confused with the word jinx, which can be a noun referring to something that brings bad luck or a verb meaning to bring bad luck to—to place a jinx on. Example: As a substitute teacher, I know exactly what kind of high jinks students will participate in when they think they can get away with it.

Etymology

Origin of jink

1690–1700; variant of dial. chink to gasp violently; compare Old English cincung boisterous laughter

Example Sentences

Hugo Bueno tried to jink back inside in the 70th minute, but went down under a challenge from Iliman Ndiaye.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026

That looked like staving off the dreaded record until Conceicao was allowed to jink forward and drill in a third for Ajax.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2022

“None of Robinson’s contemporaries displayed his ability to start and stop and start and stop and start again, to jink his way past fielders and potential tags, to rattle and embarrass and elude,” writes Kennedy.

From Washington Post • Apr. 8, 2022

Ignorant pedestrians jink and swerve, while below them the earth stirs.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 13, 2016

But Hink or Honk we relish the Plonk, And Honk or Hank we relish the Rank, And Hank or Hink we think it a jink To Honk or Hank or Hink!

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