Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

shark

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of shark

1 a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value
  • a card shark
Synonyms of shark

bilk, bilker, cheat, cheater, chiseler (or chiseller), confidence man, cozener, defrauder, dodger, finagler, hoaxer, scammer, sharper, swindler, trickster
Words Related to shark

double-crosser, double-dealer

bluffer, charlatan, fake, faker, humbug, impostor (or imposter), mountebank, phony (also phoney), pretender, quack, ringer, sham

adventurer, fox, knave, prankster, rascal, rogue

slicker, smoothy (or smoothie), wheeler-dealer

plotter, schemer, sneak, sneaker
2 a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
  • a shark at calculus
Synonyms of shark

ace, adept, artist, authority, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack (also crackajack), expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven (also mavin), past master, scholar, virtuoso, whiz, wizard
Words Related to shark

pro, professional

consultant, hired gun, specialist

addict, aficionado (also afficionado), buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan

craftsman, journeyman

jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man

mistress
Near Antonyms of shark

apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice

dabbler, dilettante

layman, nonprofessional
Antonyms of shark

amateur, inexpert, nonexpert
3 a person who habitually preys upon others
  • investigating sharks who pushed risky loans
Synonyms of shark

bloodsucker, harpy, predator, vampire, vulture, wolf
Words Related to shark

exploiter, user

leech, sponge, sponger

destroyer, devourer
Antonyms of shark

prey

Learn More about shark

  1. See words that rhyme with shark Dictionary: Definition of shark Spanish Central: Translation of shark Nglish: Translation of shark for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of shark for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shark

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up shark? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games