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Meaning & use

shyster

noun·Advancedinformaldisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˈʃaɪstə/
US/ˈʃaɪstɚ/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meaning

  1. nouncountableinformaldisapproving

    Someone, most often a lawyer, who cheats clients or bends the rules in a sly way to make money.

    Grammar: Has a plural: one shyster, two shysters.

    Patterns

    • a shyster lawyer
    • a shyster of a something

    My uncle lost his savings to a shyster who promised to double his money in a month.

    The local paper called him a shyster after he billed three families for work he never did.

    She refused to hire the first attorney she met, convinced he was a shyster.

Word forms

pluralshysters

Common combinations

a shyster lawyer
A shyster lawyer tried to charge the widow twice for the same paperwork.
a crooked shyster
The neighbors warned us about a crooked shyster selling fake insurance.
be taken in by a shyster
Many retirees were taken in by a shyster running a phony investment club.
expose a shyster
The reporter helped expose a shyster who had cheated dozens of clients.
a small-time shyster
He was only a small-time shyster, but he still ruined several families.

Synonyms and how they differ

swindler
Swindler can be anyone who cheats people out of money, whereas shyster most often hints at a professional such as a lawyer misusing their position.
charlatan
A charlatan pretends to have skills or knowledge they lack, while a shyster may be skilled but unscrupulous.
crook
Crook is a plain, general word for a criminal, while shyster suggests slippery, legalistic dishonesty.
con man
A con man wins trust to deceive victims, while a shyster usually works through contracts, paperwork or legal claims.

Opposites

honest lawyerstraight shooter

Word family

shysterism noun
dishonest, unprincipled practice, especially in law
shyster lawyer noun
a lawyer who acts without honesty

Commonly confused: shyster or shy?

shyster vs shy

Shy means nervous around people; it has no connection with the dishonest meaning of shyster despite the similar start.

Practice

The family realized too late that the 'attorney' who took their deposit was really a ______.

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