Synonyms for shenanigan
Most common
mischief devilry devilment mischievousness ruse wile monkey-shine tomfoolery
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Mischief
mischief, mischievousness, devilry, devilment, rascality, deviltry, roguery, roguishness
3. Trick — singular of shenanigans, a deceitful confidence trick; also, an act of mischief; a prank, a trick; an act of…
trick, monkey-shine, pratt, lark, caper
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
singular of shenanigans: a deceitful confidence trick; also, an act of mischief; a prank, a trick; an act of mischievous play, especially by children.
I spotted his next shenanigan—saw it coming—and so avoided being fooled.
- n. 2
Dishonest, underhanded, or unscrupulous activities or behaviour; skulduggery, trickery; also, mischievous behaviour or play; high jinks.
Related words
- Other spellings
- shinanigan
Forms
- Plural
- shenanigans → mischiefs, mischievousnesses, devilries, devilments…
Example sentences
- mischief I like the child all the better for his mischief.
- ruse All the sweet talk was just a ruse to get her into bed.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| shenanigan | steady | |
| mischief | rising | |
| devilry | rising | |
| devilment | rising | |
| mischievousness | rising | |
| ruse | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- ruse1, lark1, wile1
- 5 letters
- trick1, pratt1, caper2, guile1
- 7 letters
- chicane, devilry, roguery
- 8 letters
- mischief2, trickery3, deviltry
- 9 letters
- stratagem3, chicanery4, devilment, rascality
- 10 letters
- tomfoolery
- 11 letters
- roguishness
- 15 letters
- mischievousness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (caper2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- magouille
- Deutsch
- Machenschaften