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

Produced by Yann Zenou (YZE) and Nicolas Duval Adassovsky (ADNP/QUAD), the film stars Poelvoorde as Jean Chevalin, a bumbling trickster who accidentally deserts the army in 1940s France and must protect his family from the advancing Nazi threat. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025

The archetypal trickster reemerged in popular culture in the 1970s, driven by the disillusionment and violence of the Vietnam War era. —Time, 30 Oct. 2025

But these motifs—doglike tricksters, a figure visible on the moon, a man who performs difficult tasks to win a bride—are all frustratingly generic. —Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025

Many of the short form videos are skits featuring cartoonish depictions of Putin, Khamenei and Kim Jong Un posing as tricksters that prank, imprison or kill Trump and Netanyahu. —Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 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