shenanigan
Americannoun
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Usually shenanigans.
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mischief; prankishness.
Halloween shenanigans.
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deceit; trickery.
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a mischievous or deceitful trick, practice, etc.
noun
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(usually plural) roguishness; mischief
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an act of treachery; deception
Etymology
Origin of shenanigan
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; of obscure origin
Explanation
Ever been ripped off at three card monte or some other con? Well, you're the victim of a shenanigan, a clever form of deception, usually designed to part the unwary from their money. Not all shenanigans are financially motivated; an equally popular meaning is simply high spirits or boisterous behavior that might upset or annoy others, though usually not with any serious intent. It seems to be a word frequently applied to the Irish, with their established love of the high-spirited and artful ploy, and in fact may well come from the ancient Irish word sionnach, meaning "fox" — a traditionally sly beast.
Vocabulary lists containing shenanigan
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3
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Maniac Magee
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I take issue with the people who effectively have chalked this up to a boys-will-be-boys–type shenanigan.
From Slate • Apr. 29, 2019
We’re there in the forests and the boardrooms for each technological breakthrough, financial innovation and political shenanigan as Duke & Sons clear-cuts its way to a lucrative future.
From Washington Post • Jun. 6, 2016
“I had to Google what that thing was, the whole shenanigan was, what the meaning was,” he says.
From The Guardian • May 20, 2016
That sort of shenanigan may not be the future of college sports, but we may be getting closer to the day when money isn’t a four-letter word for student-athletes.
From Time • Feb. 25, 2015
I don’t like companies—too much shenanigan about stock and directors and meetings.
From The Boss of Wind River by Chisholm, A. M. (Arthur Murray)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
