Monkey Business.
English
idiom
Unserious silly behavior or dishonest actions.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
Unserious silly behavior or dishonest actions.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
Silly, dishonest, or suspicious behavior — either playful mischief or unethical activity.
Monkey business can refer to playful fooling around, but it also carries a more serious meaning of shady dealings or misconduct.
The context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended.
"Funny Business"
—
Suspicious or dishonest activity, with a sense that something is being hidden or manipulated
"Shenanigans"
—
Playful or mischievous behavior, usually harmless and done in a joking spirit
"Monkey Business"
—
Dishonest, suspicious, or silly behavior depending on context
I need this handled professionally — no monkey business with the numbers.
Understood — everything will be clean and fully documented.
We promise we'll behave at the dinner.
Last time you said that there was non-stop monkey business all evening.
Do you think the accounting irregularities were an accident or deliberate?
It smells like monkey business to me — too many coincidences for it to be a mistake.
