monkey business

monkey business

noun

Definition of MONKEY BUSINESS

: shenanigan 2

Examples of MONKEY BUSINESS

1. Our teacher warned us not to try any monkey business while she was out of the room.
2. <the new nanny will not tolerate such monkey business from her charges>

First Known Use of MONKEY BUSINESS

1883

Related to MONKEY BUSINESS

Synonyms: buffoonery, clownery, clowning, foolery, high jinks (also hijinks), horsing around, horseplay, monkeying, monkeyshine(s), roughhouse, roughhousing, shenanigan(s), skylarking, slapstick, tomfoolery

Related Words: childishness, clownishness, foolishness, funning, jesting, joking, nonsense, silliness, waggery; boisterousness, rambunctiousness, rowdiness, rowdyism, rumbustiousness [chiefly British]; devilry (or deviltry), impishness, knavery, mischief, mischievousness, prankishness, rascality, roguery, roguishness, trickery; cavorting, frivolity, frolicking, gamboling (or gambolling), merrymaking, playfulness, revelry, roistering, romping, sporting, sportiveness

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