jinks

/ dʒɪŋks /

plural noun

1. boisterous or mischievous play (esp in the phrase high jinks )

Word History and Origins

Origin of jinks¹

C18: of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases

see high jinks .

Example Sentences

The audience at the Saturday matinee audience I attended was filled with young people who seemed delighted by the rambunctious high jinks.

From Los Angeles Times

It makes for a strange tone throughout the film, that the congregation is so horrified by kids who are clearly hungry and fending for themselves, so it’s hard to laugh at their high jinks.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet the comic high jinks, star-crossed lovers and long-lost relatives that pop up in his play “The Miser,” first produced in 1668, will be instantly familiar to anybody who has ever seen a Shakespeare comedy.

From New York Times

“Ain’t Got No Home,” which reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, became Henry’s signature hit and definitively captured his humor and his vocal high jinks.

From Seattle Times

“Ain’t Got No Home,” which reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, became Mr. Henry’s signature hit and definitively captured his humor and his vocal high jinks.

From New York Times

More About Jinks

What does jinks mean?

The noun jinks refers to prankish or mischievous activities. It is a plural form of jink.

Jinks is rarely used, except for in the much more common term high jinks (also commonly spelled hijinks), which refers to playful, mischievous, or rowdy activity.

High jinks usually implies a combination of fun and mischief. Activities that are called high jinks are often silly and mischievous and they may be rowdy, but they’re usually not harmful. They include things like minor pranks or the kinds of activities done during a happily unrestrained celebration. Sometimes, the term refers to a series of silly or chaotic events or interactions. This is especially the case in the phrase high jinks ensue, as in The movie is about a man who has to adopt 11 ostriches—high jinks ensue. 

However, high jinks is sometimes used in a more negative way to refer to mischief or wrongdoing that’s absurd or incompetent, as in The administration is up to its usual high jinks again—luckily they’re too inept to pull any of it off. 

The word jink can also be used as a verb meaning to move quickly or in a jerky motion to elude or avoid something. It can also be used as a noun referring to such a movement. These senses of the word are also not commonly used. A much more common word that means the same thing is juke.

Jinks should not be confused with jinx, which can be a noun referring to something that brings bad luck or a verb meaning to bring bad luck to—to place a jinx on.

Example: As a substitute teacher, I know exactly what kind of high jinks students will participate in when they think they can get away with it.

Where does jinks come from?

The first records of the word jinks in reference to mischievous behavior come from right around 1700. This sense of the word may derive from a word meaning “to gasp violently,” perhaps in reference to intense laughter. The Old English word cincung, meaning “boisterous laughter,” may be related.

High jinks often refers to the kind of playful activities that end up with the participants laughing themselves silly. The word almost always implies some level of mischief or rowdiness. It is particularly associated with pranks, but usually the kind of pranks that the pranked person can also laugh at.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for jinks?

• high jinks
• antics
• shenanigans
• monkey business
• mischief

What are some words that share a root or word element with jinks? 

• high jinks

What are some words that often get used in discussing jinks?

• prank
• mischievous
• playful
• activity

What are some words jinks may be commonly confused with?

• jinx

How is jinks used in real life?

Jinks is rarely used outside of the term high jinks.

#Halloween is the perfect day to look back on some of our staff high jinks and #pranks, and there have been quite a few! Do you remember when we plastic wrapped our Head of Education Brian Cofrancesco's desk? He sure does! #CTOldStateHouse pic.twitter.com/WREK8I4bTl

— Connecticut's Old State House (@CTOldStateHouse) October 31, 2019

April Fools' Day pranks: Pokemon, cats, and other high-tech high jinks (pictures) http://t.co/LLTYqoUEL2 pic.twitter.com/S5Fw0GvBsF

— CNET (@CNET) April 1, 2014

Anyone want to be in cahoots with me? Which high jinks will ensue is TBD.

— SpacedMom (@copymama) August 1, 2017

 

Try using jinks!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of jinks?

A. antics
B. shenanigans
C. boredom
D. mischief