shenanigan

American  

[shuh-nan-i-guhn] / ʃəˈnæn ɪ gən /

noun

Informal.

1. Usually shenanigans.

   1. mischief; prankishness.

      Halloween shenanigans.

   2. deceit; trickery.

2. a mischievous or deceitful trick, practice, etc.

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shenanigan British  

/ ʃɪˈnænɪɡən /

noun

1. (usually plural) roguishness; mischief

2. an act of treachery; deception

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Etymology

Origin of shenanigan

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Your mother surely has a great deal on her mind at the moment, but it would be much easier to do this now than to wait for more shenanigans after she’s gone.

From MarketWatch

This followed Iranian shenanigans over the location and format of the talks.

From The Wall Street Journal

The implication is that, in addition to engaging in nefarious financial shenanigans, one of Mr. Xi’s most trusted henchmen was plotting against him.

From The Wall Street Journal

We decided to do the Fourth of July because it comes with a bunch of shenanigans.

From Los Angeles Times

I was thinking about this after reading about all the shenanigans Robert Redford and Paul Newman pulled on each other.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gag
• high jinks
• misbehavior
• misconduct
• prank
• transgression
• wrongdoing