shenanigan

[ shuh-nan-i-guh n ]

/ ʃəˈnæn ɪ gən /

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WATCH NOW: Where Does The Word "Shenanigans" Come From?

WATCH NOW: Where Does The Word "Shenanigans" Come From?

We love the word "shenanigans." Just saying the word is almost as much fun as planning some shenanigans to pull on someone.

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noun Informal.

Usually shenanigans.

mischief; prankishness: Halloween shenanigans.
deceit; trickery.

a mischievous or deceitful trick, practice, etc.

Content related to shenanigan

The Mysterious Origins Of “April”While the first day of the fourth month of the year is sure to bring plenty of shenanigans, what isn't so certain is where the month's name originated.

Words related to shenanigan

misbehavior, naughtiness, horseplay, mischievousness, nonsense, vandalism, gag, trouble, prank, antics, capers, hanky-panky

Words nearby shenanigan

shemozzle, shen congwen, shenandoah, shenandoah national park, shenandoah valley, shenanigan, shend, shensi, shenstone, shenton's line, shenyang

Origin of shenanigan

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shenanigans

But how do these trends, gimmicks, and shenanigans affect the story of Easter?
Can’t Fill the House On Easter? Try Handing Out Gadgets|Matthew Paul Turner|April 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I imagine with James Caan around there were plenty of shenanigans on set.
Robert Duvall on His Storied Career, His New Movie, and Why He’s Ditching the GOP|Marlow Stern|March 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The shenanigans of Intimacy will shake any jaded theater fan from nudity ennui.
New York’s Naughtiest Show (Maybe Avoid the Front Row)|Tim Teeman|January 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By December 11th, they were faced with the option of choosing which side's shenanigans to ratify.
What if the Supreme Court Had Turned Down Bush v. Gore? (Redux)|Megan McArdle|April 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST

You can do all the shenanigans you want, but what does it gain you?
Florida’s Messy Democracy|Winston Ross|November 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
We played luck too; we never had no shenanigans, a-stealin' a man's money.
Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves.|Work Projects Administration
And with such a sign to go by, there must've been shenanigans goin' on to make things go wrong!
Attention Saint Patrick|William Fitzgerald Jenkins
Your shenanigans probably chipped a little off the price I had to pay, so I ought to be grateful to you.
Murder in the Gunroom|Henry Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for shenanigans

shenanigan

/ (ʃɪˈnænɪɡən) /

noun informal

(usually plural) roguishness; mischief

an act of treachery; deception

Word Origin for shenanigan

C19: of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012