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

• bilk
• bilker
• cheat
• cheater
• chiseler
• chiseller
• confidence man
• cozener
• defrauder
• dodger
• fakir
• finagler
• fraudster [chiefly British]
• hoaxer
• scammer
• scamster
• shark
• sharper
• sharpie
• sharpy
• skinner
• swindler
• tricker

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

Orochi’s conduct earned him the disdain of even the Shinto trickster god, Susanoo, who formed a plan of revenge. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2024

While the serpent was vulnerable, the trickster god cut off his heads. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2024

The dirty tricksters generating a steady smokescreen of ridicule will not succeed. —David Marks, Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2024

Having made a film in which everything came so beautifully together, did his unrepentant inner trickster yearn to break everything apart again? —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024

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