Meaning & use
grifter
Last updated
UK/ˈɡrɪftə/
US/ˈɡrɪftər/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.
Meaning
nouncountableAmerican
A person who tricks others out of money using small cons or repeated dishonest schemes.
Grammar: Countable: a grifter in the crowd.
Patterns
- a grifter who ...
- a small-time grifter
The grifter sold fake tickets outside the stadium.
Everyone in town knew he was a grifter who talked his way into free meals.
She posed as a charity worker, but she was a grifter.
Word forms
| plural | grifters |
|---|
Common combinations
- small-time grifter
- He was only a small-time grifter, not a master criminal.
- con-artist grifter
- The film follows a grifter and his partner.
- smooth-talking grifter
- A smooth-talking grifter charmed the elderly couple.
- career grifter
- A career grifter, he had never held an honest job.
Synonyms and how they differ
- swindler
- Swindler is more formal and covers big frauds, while grifter often suggests small street cons.
- con man
- Con man highlights gaining someone's trust first, whereas grifter is a broader slang label.
- fraudster
- Fraudster is a British term for someone committing legal fraud, usually on paper or online, rather than in person.
Opposites
honest worker
Word family
Commonly confused: grifter or drifter?
grifter vs drifter
A drifter moves from place to place without a settled life, and is not necessarily a cheat.
Practice
A grifter is most like a ____.
Choose one answer.
A grifter cheats people out of money, as a swindler does. The other jobs and roles have no link with fraud.
Make it your own
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