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

Historically, Mischief Night is supposed to be the night of harmless pranks, but many police departments have developed plans to prevent the shenanigans. —Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025

Any Boston-versus-Philly shenanigans are liable to end in egged houses without the cover of Halloween night. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025

No Way Home, which famously featured all three Peters coming together in some multiversal shenanigans. —Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025

In recent decades the Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos has been widely embraced across the Bay Area, providing a comforting counterpoint to the thrills, chills and shenanigans of Halloween. —Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for shenanigan

• brannigan

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