Meaning & use
svengali
A person who manipulates or controls another, often to gain influence for a sinister purpose.
See it in a sentence
Critics called the band's manager a svengali who controlled every aspect of their image.
The young singer's career was shaped almost entirely by her svengali-like producer.
A note on using this word
Derived from a controlling hypnotist character in the 1894 novel Trilby; usually implies a mix of influence and control over a more talented or vulnerable person.
Words with a similar meaning
manipulatorpuppeteer
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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