con artist

Meaning

1. 1nouncountableinformaldisapproving

   Someone who wins a victim's trust and then tricks them out of money or valuables, using lies and a persuasive manner.

   Grammar: Often followed by a description of the trick: a con artist who sold fake tickets.

   Patterns

   • a con artist who does something
   • be taken in by a con artist

   A con artist persuaded the retired couple to invest in a fake gold mine.

   The police warned residents about a con artist posing as a gas inspector.

   He turned out to be a con artist who had cheated many people across the country.

Word forms

Common combinations

smooth-talking con artist

A smooth-talking con artist convinced her to hand over her savings.

fall victim to a con artist

Many elderly people fall victim to a con artist every year.

notorious con artist

The film is about a notorious con artist who posed as a prince.

expose a con artist

The reporter helped to expose a con artist who ran a fake charity.

skilled con artist

A skilled con artist reads people quickly.

Synonyms and how they differ

swindler

Swindler is a bit more formal and stresses the cheating, while con artist stresses the charm used to win trust.

fraudster

Fraudster is common in news reports and covers any fraud, including online scams that involve no personal charm.

trickster

Trickster can be playful or mythical, while con artist always means someone dishonestly taking money.

scammer

Scammer is more modern and informal and often refers to online or phone scams.

Word family

con noun

a trick used to cheat someone

con verb

to trick someone into giving you something

conman noun

a man who cheats people with tricks

confidence trick noun

the fuller name of the trick that gives con its name

Commonly confused: con artist or artist?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “con artist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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