hustler

noun

hus·​tler ˈhə-slər 

plural hustlers

: a person who hustles: such as

a

: one who obtains money by fraud or deceit : scammer, swindler

A financial hustler who orchestrated the theft of $6.5 million from investors …

—Shayna Jacobs and Alec Tabak

… most of the eight major frauds Minkow helped uncover in the past year have involved hustlers trying to sell investments to church groups.

—Adam Zagorin

b

: one who lures less skillful players into competing at a gambling game

a pool hustler

This is where the chess hustlers have seized their opportunity. Camped out at the picnic tables in Harvard Square, these seasoned locals will play with you—for a price.

—Evan Zigmond

c

: an athlete who plays with alert energy and aggressiveness

By always being the teacher's pet, by being a hustler in football practice and by being the fringe member of many social groups but the leader of none, Kelly managed to mask his insecurities.

—Michael Reese

d

: sex worker

a male hustler

"Beat" is old carny slang. According to Beat Movement legend … , Ginsberg and Kerouac picked it up from a character named Herbert Huncke, a gay street hustler and drug addict from Chicago who began hanging around Times Square in 1939 …

—Louis Menand

Synonyms

• bawd
• call girl
• cocotte
• courtesan
• drab
• hooker
• prostitute
• sex worker
• streetwalker
• tart
• whore

Examples of hustler in a Sentence

policemen kept the street clean of hustlers

the ad for the sales job claims that for someone who's a real hustler, the sky's the limit

Recent Examples on the Web

Or there’s Jim Thompson’s 1963 crime novel The Grifters, whose nihilistic hustlers abuse the trust of everyone around them, perpetually working either the short or long con at the expense of real friendships and a real sense of self. —Meaghan Garvey, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2025

For side hustlers, upskilling means expanding their repertoire to tap into additional income streams. —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025

Keeping good records should be a top priority for side hustlers Remember, just like your regular income, income from your side hustle is taxable. —Judy Lagrou, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2025

Good riddance to the most vitriolic, lowbrow, and unhinged race hustler ever allowed on national television. —Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above