shindig

noun

shin·​dig ˈshin-ˌdig 

1

a

: a social gathering with dancing

b

: a usually large or lavish party

2

: shindy sense 2

Did you know?

At a glance, shindig appears to combine shin and dig, and thus might seem to suggest a painful kick to the leg—especially when you know that one of the first senses of shindig in English refers to a gathering at which people dance. It is more likely, however, that shindig is an alteration of shindy, which is itself the alteration of another word, shinny, used of a variation of hockey that is played with a curved stick and a ball or block of wood. It's not entirely clear how the game of shinny gave shindy its first meaning (the "social gathering with dancing" meaning that is also the original meaning of shindig) but shinny remains the most likely origin.

Synonyms

• event
• party
• bash
• celebration
• reception
• fete

Examples of shindig in a Sentence

we're hosting a little shindig this weekend for some friends

Recent Examples on the Web

Swift's appearance at Brittany's birthday shindig comes on the heels of a whirlwind month for her. —Hedy Phillips, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025

The conversation included an image of a 1980s celebrity shindig almost too awesome to fathom. —Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025

As per the Daily Mail, between 100 to 200 guests attended the weekend shindig, but not one relative from Brooklyn’s side was there. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2025

The three-day shindig opened in triumphant fashion on Friday with a bill highlighted by legendary saxophonist Charles Lloyd and the multi-talented Don Was. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably alteration of shindy

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

shindig

noun

shin·​dig ˈshin-ˌdig 

: a big fancy party