Standard Lemma guide

hanky-panky

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌhæŋkɪˈpæŋki/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Mischievous behaviour; dishonest or shady activity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • I think there was some hanky-panky with the last election.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Amorous behaviour, making out, necking, sex or other sexual activity, especially if illicit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: roll in the hay, aphrodisia, carnal knowledge, coitus, coition, commerce, commixtion, congress, conjunction, connection, consummation, conversation, copulation, coupling, intercourse, intimacy, intimate relations, intromission, joining, lovemaking, lustmaking, mating, mounting, pareunia, penetration, relations, sex, sexual congress, sexual intercourse, sexual relation, sexual union, swiving, union, the beast with two backs, the birds and the bees, boom-boom, chesterfield rugby, horizontal dancing, horizontal hula, horizontal jogging, horizontal mambo, horizontal refreshments, horizontal slam dance, how's your father, love, Netflix and chill, physical love, Ugandan affairs, Ugandan discussions, action, ass, bang, barney-mugging, beef injection, bonking, cuntfuck, fucking, frig, fucky-fucky, hot beef injection, hump, humpa humpa, jig-jig, jiggy-jiggy, lay, legover, meat injection, nookie, old hat, pipe, plow, plough, poon, poontang, punani, pussy, ride, root, rumpo, rumpy-pumpy, seeing-to, sexy time, sexy times, screw, screwing, shag, skin, snu snu, tang, trim, hanky-panky, funny business, making whoopee, jiggery-pokery, monkey business, fooling about, fooling around, playing around

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A debaucherous act; a sexual act that is considered inappropriate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A cocktail made from gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca fernet.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Possibly a corruption of the Romani expression hakk'ni panki ("great trick", "big con" and hence "shady dealings").

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: шмекерия (šmekerija) — mischievous behaviour, dishonest or shady activity
  • German: fauler Zauber — mischievous behaviour, dishonest or shady activity
  • German: Schwindel — mischievous behaviour, dishonest or shady activity
  • German: Hokuspokus — mischievous behaviour, dishonest or shady activity
  • German: Mauschelei — mischievous behaviour, dishonest or shady activity
  • German: Mauscheleien — mischievous behaviour, dishonest or shady activity
  • German: Trick — mischievous behaviour, dishonest or shady activity
  • German: Tricks — mischievous behaviour, dishonest or shady activity
  • German: Taschenspielertrick — mischievous behaviour, dishonest or shady activity
  • German: Taschenspielertricks — mischievous behaviour, dishonest or shady activity
  • Bulgarian: задявка (zadjavka) — amorous behaviour, smooching, making out, necking, sexual intercourse or other sexual activity
  • French: galipettes — amorous behaviour, smooching, making out, necking, sexual intercourse or other sexual activity
  • German: Techtelmechtel — amorous behaviour, smooching, making out, necking, sexual intercourse or other sexual activity
  • German: Knutscherei — amorous behaviour, smooching, making out, necking, sexual intercourse or other sexual activity
  • German: Gefummel — amorous behaviour, smooching, making out, necking, sexual intercourse or other sexual activity
  • German: Fummeln — amorous behaviour, smooching, making out, necking, sexual intercourse or other sexual activity
  • Russian: шуры-муры (šury-mury) — amorous behaviour, smooching, making out, necking, sexual intercourse or other sexual activity
  • Swedish: rajtan tajtan — amorous behaviour, smooching, making out, necking, sexual intercourse or other sexual activity
  • German: Ausschweifung — a debaucherous act; a sexual act that is considered inappropriate
  • German: Sittenlosigkeit — a debaucherous act; a sexual act that is considered inappropriate