Meaning & use

grifter

noun·Everyday

A person who cheats others out of money through tricks, scams, or dishonest schemes.

See it in a sentence

The documentary followed a notorious grifter who convinced investors to fund a fake startup.

Locals warned tourists about a grifter operating near the train station.

A note on using this word

Grifter is informal American slang, slightly less formal than swindler but carrying the same sense of deliberate, ongoing deception for profit.

Words with a similar meaning

con artistswindlerscammer

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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