huckster

noun

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huck·ster | \ ˈhək-stər

Definition of huckster

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : hawker, peddler especially : one who sells or advertises something in an aggressive, dishonest, or annoying way

2 : one who produces promotional material for commercial clients especially for radio or television

huckster

verb

huckstered; huckstering\ ˈhək-st(ə-)riŋ

Definition of huckster (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: haggle

transitive verb

1 : to deal in or bargain over

2 : to promote aggressively

Other Words from huckster Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about huckster

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Did You Know?

Noun

Hawkers, peddlers, and hucksters have been selling things out of the back of wagons, in narrow alleys, and on the fringes of towns for years (though nowadays, they're more likely to plug their wares on television or the Internet). Of those three words-"hawker," "peddler," or "huckster"-the one that has been around the longest in English is "huckster." It has been with us for over 800 years, and it derives from the Middle Dutch word hokester, which in turn comes from the verb hoeken, meaning "to peddle." "Peddler" (or "pedlar") was first attested in the 14th century, and this sense of "hawker" has only been appearing in English texts since the early 1500s.

Examples of huckster in a Sentence

Noun hucksters outside the auditorium selling everything from key chains to life-size cutouts of the rock star

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun People spread disinformation to promote a political agenda or make a quick buck, for example, with hucksters now pushing everything from faulty face masks to block the novel coronavirus to worthless cures to treat it. — Popular Science, "Disinformation during a pandemic can be deadly," 9 Apr. 2020 Few media hucksters cared about that aspect of Haynes’s progressivism. — Armond White, National Review, "Dark Waters Drowns in Sanctimony," 20 Mar. 2020 Or a huckster using his former position for his own benefit, as the Pentagon seemingly implies? Part VI. — Tim Mcmillan, Popular Mechanics, "Inside the Pentagon's Secret UFO Program," 14 Feb. 2020 Inaccurate information – even deliberately wrong information – doesn’t just come from snake-oil salesmen, door-to-door hucksters and TV shopping channels anymore. — Barry M. Mitnick, The Conversation, "Why do people believe con artists?," 21 Feb. 2020 Even with Nixon now disgraced and carved into history as first a huckster and then a virulent racist, his legacy on indigenous rights, then and now, stands above all other presidents. — Nick Martin, The New Republic, "Indian Country Deserves a Better Hero Than Richard Nixon," 21 Oct. 2019 Intent on becoming more lethal, Imus created a slew of satirical characters, including the huckster Rev. Billy Sol Hargus. — Duane Byrge, Billboard, "Don Imus, Legendary Radio personality, Dies at 79," 27 Dec. 2019 Donald Trump – gaudy real-estate brander, reality-show star, educational huckster – has been in the glare just as long (as Clinton), but as a bit player in the national phantasmagoria. — Phillip Morris, cleveland.com, "Trump’s tweet about congresswomen offers America a dangerous glimpse of itself: Philip Morris," 21 July 2019 Mixing droll gags with acerbic satire, Mr. Fradon skewered plutocrats, hucksters, crass politicians, corporate honchos and a sensationalist media. — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, "Dana Fradon, prolific New Yorker cartoonist with a satirical edge, dies at 97," 18 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'huckster.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.