shenanigan
12 synonyms for shenanigan, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Behaviour that is dishonest and sly, or simply playful and mischievous.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
The origin of the noun is uncertain. As the earliest attestations are from California, U.S.A., in the 1850s towards the end of the California gold rush (see the quotations), it is possible that the word derives from one of the following: * Irish sionnachuighim (“to play tricks”, literally “to play the fox”); Irishmen w...
Full origin of shenanigan →