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shindig

noun
shin·​dig | \ ˈshin-ËŒdig How to pronounce shindig (audio) \

Definition of shindig

1a : a social gathering with dancing
b : a usually large or lavish party
2 : shindy sense 2
Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about shindig

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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 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

we're hosting a little shindig this weekend for some friends

Recent Examples on the Web

 What started in 1986 as a small shindig in San Francisco has since escalated into a global phenomenon with tens of thousands of people in attendance. — Alex Fitzpatrick, Time, "See What the Burning Man Festival Looks Like From Space," 28 Aug. 2019 The annual shindig features lots of live music, a water ski show, carnival rides, fireworks, lighted boat parade and more. — Phil Marty, chicagotribune.com, "Hit a Wisconsin fest, watch a tug-of-war over the Mighty Mississippi and more Midwest events," 29 July 2019 And if you are invited to another shindig, just say NO. — Abigail Van Buren, Twin Cities, "Dear Abby: Husband, son desert woman to comfort her mother-in-law," 16 Aug. 2019 And if you are invited to another shindig, just say NO. — Dear Abby, oregonlive.com, "Dear Abby: Mother-in-law monopolizes husband and son after loss of family member," 16 Aug. 2019 The most successful of these literary shindigs have been Northern African nations which usually have state support. — James Murua, Quartz Africa, "The rise and rise of the literary festival in African cities," 9 Aug. 2019 Tickets to the whole shindig are in pre-sale and officially open to the public on Friday, July 26 on Ticketmaster. — Shauna Stuart | [email protected], al, "‘The Bachelor Live on Stage’ is coming to Birmingham," 25 July 2019 TikTok was a conversation starter at almost every industry party, including YouTube’s official shindig. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "TikTok took over VidCon, and YouTube is next," 15 July 2019 Instead of a traditional spring or international cultural festival, this cherry blossom shindig is a showcase of Americana and Missouri heritage beneath the town’s beautiful blooms. — National Geographic, "Best places to see cherry blossoms in the U.S.," 1 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shindig.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of shindig

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for shindig

probably alteration of shindy

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More Definitions for shindig

shindig

noun
How to pronounce shindig (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of shindig

informal : a big party

See the full definition for shindig in the English Language Learners Dictionary

More from Merriam-Webster on shindig

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with shindig

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shindig

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