Phrase guide

con artist

noun · 2 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who uses confidence tricks to defraud or swindle people after first gaining their trust with a series of confidence games; a scam operator, confidence trickster.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • That greedy con artist would swindle you at any cost.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: conman, con, bristler, bunco artist, bunco-steerer, chiseler, con artist, confidence artist, confidence trickster, flimflammer, grifter, lugger, magsman, mountebank, saltimbanco, sharpster, sharker, shark-gull, slicker, smooth operator, spiv, bamboozler, bouncer, bullshitter, cheat, cheater, cogger, cony-catcher, crammer, deceiver, deceptor, fabricator, fabulist, falser, gabber, guiler, liar, losenger, mocker, pseudologist, rook, Scandaroon, shammer, Spanish athlete, swindler, swike, treacher, trickster, trucker, wernard

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a swindler who exploits the confidence of his victim

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: confidence man, con man

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: swindler, defrauder, chiseller, chiseler, gouger, scammer, grifter

History

Etymology

A clipping of confidence artist.

Across languages

Translations

63 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: estafador — scam operator, conman
  • Catalan: estafa — scam operator, conman
  • Chinese Mandarin: 騙子 /骗子 (piànzi) — scam operator, conman
  • Czech: podvodník — scam operator, conman
  • Danish: svindler — scam operator, conman
  • Dutch: oplichter — scam operator, conman
  • Dutch: oplichtster — scam operator, conman
  • Esperanto: fripono — scam operator, conman
  • Esperanto: trompisto — scam operator, conman
  • Finnish: huijari — scam operator, conman
  • Finnish: petkuttaja — scam operator, conman
  • French: escroc — scam operator, conman
  • French: arnaqueur — scam operator, conman
  • French: arnaqueuse — scam operator, conman
  • Galician: estafador — scam operator, conman
  • Galician: argalleiro — scam operator, conman
  • German: Abzocker — scam operator, conman
  • German: Scharlatan — scam operator, conman
  • German: Hochstapler — scam operator, conman
  • German: Trickbetrüger — scam operator, conman
  • German: Trickbetrügerin — scam operator, conman
  • German: Hochstaplerin — scam operator, conman
  • German: Schwindler — scam operator, conman
  • German: Schwindlerin — scam operator, conman
  • Greek: απατεώνας (apateónas) — scam operator, conman
  • Ancient Greek: φέναξ (phénax) — scam operator, conman
  • Hungarian: szélhámos — scam operator, conman
  • Hungarian: csaló — scam operator, conman
  • Indonesian: penipu — scam operator, conman
  • Italian: defraudatore — scam operator, conman
  • Italian: ingannatore — scam operator, conman
  • Italian: millantatore — scam operator, conman
  • Italian: abbindolatore — scam operator, conman
  • Italian: mistificatore — scam operator, conman
  • Italian: imbonitore — scam operator, conman
  • Japanese: 詐欺師 (sagishi) — scam operator, conman
  • Latin: fraudātor — scam operator, conman
  • Lingala: bacheque — scam operator, conman
  • Macedonian: хохштаплер (hohštapler) — scam operator, conman
  • Polish: hochsztapler — scam operator, conman
  • Polish: hochsztaplerka — scam operator, conman
  • Polish: naciągacz — scam operator, conman
  • Polish: naciągaczka — scam operator, conman
  • Portuguese: trapaceiro — scam operator, conman
  • Portuguese: vigarista — scam operator, conman
  • Romanian: șarlatan — scam operator, conman
  • Romanian: escroc — scam operator, conman
  • Russian: моше́нник (mošénnik) — scam operator, conman
  • Russian: моше́нница (mošénnica) — scam operator, conman
  • Russian: жу́лик (žúlik) — scam operator, conman
  • Russian: афери́ст (aferíst) — scam operator, conman
  • Russian: афери́стка (aferístka) — scam operator, conman
  • Sicilian: ciraulu — scam operator, conman
  • Sicilian: mprugghiuni — scam operator, conman
  • Sicilian: mprusaturi — scam operator, conman
  • Spanish: estafador — scam operator, conman
  • Spanish: engañabobos — scam operator, conman
  • Spanish: trilero — scam operator, conman
  • Spanish: embaucador — scam operator, conman
  • Swahili: tapeli — scam operator, conman
  • Swedish: svindlare — scam operator, conman
  • Turkish: dolandırıcı — scam operator, conman
  • Veps: manitelii — scam operator, conman