shenanigan
Americannoun
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Usually shenanigans.
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mischief; prankishness.
Halloween shenanigans.
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deceit; trickery.
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a mischievous or deceitful trick, practice, etc.
noun
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(usually plural) roguishness; mischief
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an act of treachery; deception
Etymology
Origin of shenanigan
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; of obscure origin
Explanation
Ever been ripped off at three card monte or some other con? Well, you're the victim of a shenanigan, a clever form of deception, usually designed to part the unwary from their money. Not all shenanigans are financially motivated; an equally popular meaning is simply high spirits or boisterous behavior that might upset or annoy others, though usually not with any serious intent. It seems to be a word frequently applied to the Irish, with their established love of the high-spirited and artful ploy, and in fact may well come from the ancient Irish word sionnach, meaning "fox" — a traditionally sly beast.
Vocabulary lists containing shenanigan
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3
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Maniac Magee
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But with “Don’t Worry Darling,” Wilde’s sophomore effort, every public shenanigan contributes to what has become a rather catastrophic press tour.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 6, 2022
After he was placed in jail following that latest shenanigan, it seemed as though there might be less opportunity for Manafort to embarrass himself through easily discovered efforts to monkey with his case.
From Slate ● Jul. 11, 2018
“I had to Google what that thing was, the whole shenanigan was, what the meaning was,” he says.
From The Guardian ● May 20, 2016
That sort of shenanigan may not be the future of college sports, but we may be getting closer to the day when money isn’t a four-letter word for student-athletes.
From Time ● Feb. 25, 2015
Wal, sir, I made up my mind that they warn’t going to come any shenanigan over me, and I struck the shortest line for Fort Severn.
From The Cave in the Mountain A Sequel to In the Pecos Country / by Lieut. R. H. Jayne by Edward Sylvester Ellis
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
