swindler
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of swindler
First recorded in 1765–75; from German Schwindler “irresponsible person, promoter of wildcat schemes, cheat,” derivative of schwindeln “to be dizzy (hence be dizzy-minded, be irresponsible), defraud,” equivalent to schwind- (cognate with Old English swindan “to languish”) + -(e)l- + -er; cf. -le, -er 1 ( def. )
Explanation
If you know someone is a swindler, stay away from him. Swindlers are scammers who con people to make a buck. Unfortunately, there are many types of people in the world who will try to get your money. Somewhere between a used car salesman and an outright thief is a swindler — someone who lies to get your money, sometimes by suggesting you invest in something phony. Many people on the Internet asking for money are swindlers, and if anyone tries to sell you a bridge, that's likely another swindler. Swindlers are also called grifters, scammers, and con artists. The last person in the world you should give money to is a swindler.
Vocabulary lists containing swindler
The Jungle
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All My Sons
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The Boy Who Dared
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Federal prosecutors called him a pathological liar and swindler who falsely portrayed himself as a successful businessman and real-estate mogul with stints at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Orgon, a wealthy bourgeois who has taken a much younger second wife, signs over his soul to Tartuffe, a lecherous swindler who poses as a saint while pursuing a diabolical agenda.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2024
And she draws comparisons to characters in her own village: the glint of triumph in the eye of a swindler reminds her of the face of the choirboy when he pocketed the collection.
From Washington Post • Sep. 1, 2022
Ponzi schemes are named after a notorious swindler from the 1920s, but versions of the scam date back to at least the mid-1800s.
From BBC • Dec. 1, 2021
"Certainly not for a common swindler who'd have to steal the ring he put on her finger."
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
