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

What had started as typical college-age shenanigans had morphed into regularly overindulging at professional happy hours, and eventually into an all-day urge to drink. —Lev Facher, STAT, 14 May 2026

There are easy dots to connect between Pierzynski and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing, two men who don’t have much of a relationship but now occupy a similar space as catchers who have developed something of a reputation for shenanigans. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 8 May 2026

Yes, there's action, romance, and the typical MCU superhero shenanigans every fan expects, but the film has as much soul and curiosity about its characters and world as your average A24 production. —Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 6 May 2026

But there is also a world of more shadowy techniques – a whole history of hacking shenanigans going back nearly a century. —Willa Rubin, NPR, 1 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for shenanigan

• brannigan

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!