shark

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈshärk 

: any of numerous mostly marine cartilaginous fishes of medium to large size that have a fusiform body, lateral branchial clefts, and a tough usually dull gray skin roughened by minute tubercles and are typically active predators sometimes dangerous to humans

sharklike

ˈshärk-ˌlīk 

adjective

Illustration of shark

• 1 mako
• 2 tiger
• 3 thresher
• 4 hammerhead
• 5 great white

shark

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

: a rapacious crafty person who takes advantage of others often through usury, extortion, or devious means

loan sharks

2

: one who excels greatly especially in a particular field

shark

3 of 3

verb

sharked; sharking; sharks

transitive verb

1

archaic : to gather hastily

2

archaic : to obtain by some irregular means

intransitive verb

1

archaic : to practice fraud or trickery

2

archaic : sneak

Synonyms of shark

Noun (2)

• dodger
• cheat

Examples of shark in a Sentence

Noun (2)

a card shark

a shark at calculus

being a new arrival in Hollywood, she was easy prey for the sharks in the movie business

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ayres studies sharks but observing orcas that preyed on sharks in the Gulf of California sparked her interest in killer whale behavior. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

The casitas are immersed in the lush landscape and most guests come to spend time on the crystal blue waters here, whether diving with sharks in Coiba National Park on the huge reef or sport fishing for red snapper. — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026

Verb

Following Jaws' success, Benchley expressed regret over the story's impact on the public's fear of sharks and the decimation of shark populations, committing himself to shark conservation and education efforts. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026

Netflix dominates pretty much all things TV, so why should shark content be any different? — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 4 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English

Noun (2)

probably modification of German Schurke scoundrel

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1603, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing shark

• anti-shark
• basking shark
• black-tipped shark
• blacktip shark
• blue shark
• bull shark
• card shark
• great white shark
• jump the shark
• lemon shark
• loan shark
• mackerel shark
• mako shark
• man-eating shark
• megamouth shark
• nurse shark
• oceanic white-tipped shark
• oceanic whitetip shark
• requiem shark
• shark repellent
• shark sucker
• thresher shark
• tiger shark
• whale shark
• white shark
• white-tipped shark
• white-tip reef shark
• white-tip shark

Rhymes for shark

• arc
• ark
• bark
• barque
• dark
• hark
• lark
• marc
• mark
• marque
• narc
• quark

Kids Definition

shark

1 of 2 noun

ˈshärk 

: any of numerous marine fishes that have rough grayish skin and a skeleton made of cartilage, that usually prey on other animals and are sometimes dangerous to people, and that include some caught for the oil in their livers or for their hide from which a leather is made

sharklike

ˈshär-ˌklīk 

adjective

shark

2 of 2 noun

1

: a sly greedy person who takes advantage of others

a loan shark

2

: a person who outdoes others especially in a certain area

a shark at arithmetic