fakir

fa·kir

noun

Definition of FAKIR

1

\fə-ˈkir, fä-, fa-; ˈfā-kər\

a : a Muslim mendicant : dervish

b : an itinerant Hindu ascetic or wonder-worker

2

\ˈfā-kər\ : impostor; especially : swindler

Examples of FAKIR

1. <a traveling carnival that was run by fakirs preying on small-town rubes>
2. <a fakir peddling patent medicines that were mostly liquor and sugar>

Origin of FAKIR

Arabic faqīr, literally, poor man

First Known Use: 1609

Related to FAKIR

Synonyms

bilk, bilker, cheat, cheater, chiseler (or chiseller), confidence man, cozener, defrauder, dodger, trickster, finagler, fraudster [chiefly British], hoaxer, scammer, scamster, shark, sharper, sharpie (or sharpy), skinner, swindler, tricker

Related Words

double-crosser, double-dealer; bluffer, charlatan, fake, faker, humbug, impostor (or imposter), mountebank, phony (also phoney), pretender, quack, quacksalver, ringer, sham; adventurer, fox, gamesman, knave, prankster, rascal, rogue; fast-talker, slick, slicker, slickster, slyboots, smoothy (or smoothie), wheeler-dealer; plotter, schemer, sneak, sneaker; blackleg, cardsharp (or cardsharper)

Near Antonyms

ace, adept, authority, crackerjack (also crackajack), expert, maestro, master, past master, professional, virtuoso, whiz, wizard

Rhymes with FAKIR

acre, baker, breaker, faker, laker, maker, nacre, quaker, raker, saker, shaker, taker, waker