shindig
noun
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.
Examples of shindig in a Sentence
Emily St. Martin, Oc Register, 30 Dec. 2025
In addition to meeting up for committee sessions (which are also held virtually) and special occasions such as the biennial PFV Prize ceremony, the families take turns hosting annual shindigs at their various estates.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2025
An ensemble piece in the truest sense, Tyler Taormina's film captures the joys and exhaustions of holiday gatherings via a Long Island family's annual Christmas Eve shindig.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
Her ex-lover (Nina Hoss) is his biggest competition and is also invited to the shindig.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shindig
Cite this Entry
“Shindig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shindig. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shindig
noun
Share