shenanigan

noun

she·​nan·​i·​gan shə-ˈna-ni-gən 

1

a

: activity or behavior that is not honest or proper : deceptive or questionable practices or conduct

—usually used in plural

They were engaged in financial/political shenanigans.

… takes attention away from the shenanigans of corporate executives …

—Anthony Lewis

b

: high-spirited or mischievous activity

—usually used in plural

students engaging in youthful shenanigans on the last day of school

But this is just a taste of all the shenanigans that went down.

—Allie Gemmill

2

old-fashioned : a devious trick used especially for an underhand purpose

Did you know?

The history of shenanigan is as tricky and mischievous as its meaning. Etymologists have some theories about its origins, but no one has been able to prove them. All we can say for certain is that the earliest known uses of the word in print appeared in the mid-1800s. Although the "underhanded trick" sense of the word is oldest, the most common senses in use now are "tricky or questionable practices" (as in "political shenanigans") and "high-spirited behavior" (as in "youthful shenanigans").

Synonyms of shenanigan

• mischief
• misconduct

Examples of shenanigan in a Sentence

students engaging in youthful shenanigans on the last day of school

an act of vandalism that went way beyond the usual shenanigans at summer camp

Recent Examples on the Web

That, in turn, would have allowed the Heat to fully explore their pipeline, hardly draw the type of Silver scrutiny that Utah and Indiana did with their lineup shenanigans, and removed the pressure from Erik Spoelstra of trying to win now rather than develop for later. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026

And when YouTube pulls these shenanigans again, the industry needs to stand up and not allow YouTube to deepen its power over artists. —Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026

The next six weeks will be both challenging and fun thanks to team shenanigans. —Stan Son, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026

Some shenanigans may have gone too far. —Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for shenanigan

• brannigan

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