trickster

American  

[trik-ster] / ˈtrɪk stər /

noun

1. a deceiver; cheat; fraud.

2. a person who plays tricks.

3. a supernatural figure appearing in various guises and typically engaging in mischievous activities, important in the folklore and mythology of many primitive peoples and usually conceived as a culture hero.

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trickster British  

/ ˈtrɪkstə /

noun

1. a person who deceives or plays tricks

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Other Word Forms

• trickstering noun

Etymology

Origin of trickster

First recorded in 1705–15; trick + -ster

Example Sentences

“Not mean. More trickster kine. In ancient Hawai‘i, stealing was one honorable profession.

From Literature

But I cry now—for the first time in years—in the underground corridor of the Ghanaian underworld, all while the ancestral spirit of my grandmother protects me from a trickster god.

From Literature

Watching a trickster hypnotize someone in a live performance might impress you.

From The Wall Street Journal

The work in question is a "maqāma" -- an Arabic literary form that often features a wandering "trickster."

From Science Daily

Sprawling compounds where internet tricksters target people with romance and business cons have thrived along Myanmar's loosely governed border during its civil war, sparked by a 2021 coup.

From Barron's

Related Words

• con artist