trickster

noun

trick·​ster ˈtrik-stər 

: one who tricks: such as

a

: a dishonest person who defrauds others by trickery

b

: a person (such as a stage magician) skilled in the use of tricks and illusion

c

: a cunning or deceptive character appearing in various forms in the folklore of many cultures

Synonyms

• cheat
• dodger
• shark

Examples of trickster in a Sentence

a heartless trickster swindled the elderly woman out of her life savings

a very adept trickster who used mirrors to make huge items—even buildings—seem to disappear

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s also a playful side threaded through the record, embodied in the reappearance of his alter ego, Billy Bob Bo Bob — a kind of fantastical trickster figure he’s inhabited before. —Okla Jones, Essence, 22 Aug. 2025

In addition to taste testing at the wine and beer tents, see live performances by musical artists, polka dancers and BMX tricksters. —Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 21 Aug. 2025

Jack Nicholson’s McMurphy, a swaggering trickster figure, clashes with the institution’s quiet tyrant, Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), in a battle not just of wills, but of worldviews: chaos versus order, freedom versus conformity. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 29 July 2025

Theo was funny, cool, affable, confident around adults, often charmingly sneaky, a bit of a trickster. —Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 27 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing trickster

• confidence trickster

Kids Definition

trickster

noun

trick·​ster ˈtrik-stər 

: one who tricks: as

a

: a dishonest person who cheats others by trickery

b

: magician sense 2