shindig
noun
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 that is 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
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 7 May 2025
Sanders’ lavish shindig came after a days-long wait to be drafted into the NFL, as the former Colorado quarterback was ultimately selected in the fifth round with the 144th pick by the Cleveland Browns after initially being projected as a first-round pick.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Look no further than this one-bowl biscuit recipe for your next shindig.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2025
At the same time, with POTUS just back from Pope Francis’ funeral and up at his New Jersey estate, the MAGA crowd this year were holding their own shindig across town at the Willard Hotel.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shindig
Cite this Entry
“Shindig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shindig. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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shindig
noun
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