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

So would Carrey return as the green-faced trickster? —Zack Sharf, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024

As a modern-day trickster, the magician uniquely has the ability to transcend worlds of difference. —Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024

As with most stories concerning tricksters and con men, the tales existed as ways of desiring and demonizing a marked outsider. —James Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024

In this modern fairy tale, McCullers creates the perfect love triangle: Miss Amelia the bootlegger, her ex-convict ex-husband, and the trickster Cousin Lymon. —The Week Us, theweek, 5 Nov. 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