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

Hadid shared several other looks from her holiday shenanigans, including wearing her hair down and tucked behind her ears and under a baseball cap, as well as a metallic manicure. —Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Jan. 2026

Landman season 2 just ended last night with a big finale, and Tommy and the crew got up to their usual shenanigans, leading to some potentially explosive events for season 3. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

After seeing Harry and Ron’s meet-cute, Harry is spotted flying away from Ron on the Quidditch pitch without any bottoms, and more sexy Hogwarts shenanigans take place. —William Earl, Variety, 18 Jan. 2026

There, sisterhoods are rekindled, and thanks to a lot of dancing, drinking, and brawling, wild sides reemerge and shenanigans abound. —Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Jan. 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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