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 of trickster

• 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

That group includes on-loan trickster Alexis Manyoma, U-22 Ted Ku-DiPietro and Dante Sealy, whose reported $2 million General Allocation Money signing is yet to be made official. —Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025

Loki, the trickster, exploits this unusual weakness by using an arrow made of mistletoe to kill Baldur. —Scott Neuman, NPR, 17 Dec. 2025

Moving around and between the Sizes is the mysterious Elegba (Malcolm Mays), whose influence over Oshoosi seems both dangerous and loving; in the play’s trickster paradigm, these are the same thing. —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025

While mild-mannered, Vince Staples is a trickster at his core. —Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 13 Nov. 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