huckster

[ huhk-ster ]

noun

1. a retailer of small articles, especially a peddler of fruits and vegetables; hawker.
2. a person who employs showy methods to effect a sale, win votes, etc.:

   the crass methods of political hucksters.

3. a cheaply mercenary person.
4. Informal.
   1. a persuasive and aggressive salesperson.
   2. a person who works in the advertising industry, especially one who prepares aggressive advertising for radio and television.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to deal, as in small articles, or to make petty bargains:

   to huckster fresh corn; to huckster for a living.

2. to sell or promote in an aggressive and flashy manner.

huckster

/ ˈhʌkstə /

noun

1. a person who uses aggressive or questionable methods of selling
2. rare.
   a person who sells small articles or fruit in the street
3. a person who writes for radio or television advertisements

verb

1. tr to peddle
2. tr to sell or advertise aggressively or questionably
3. to haggle (over)

Derived Forms

• ˈhucksterism, noun

Other Words From

• huckster·ism noun
• huckster·ish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of huckster¹

1150–1200; Middle English huccstere (perhaps cognate with Middle Dutch hokester ), equivalent to hucc- haggle (cognate with dialectal German hucken to huckster) + -stere -ster

Word History and Origins

Origin of huckster¹

C12: perhaps from Middle Dutch hoekster, from hoeken to carry on the back

Example Sentences

However, if you’re looking for evidence that lymphatic massage can make you lose weight, change the shape of your face, improve your general health, or even cure cancer, as some hucksters would have it, good luck finding it.

From Popular-Science

Maybe they think that populist politicians will save it for them, or maybe they know better than to put their faith in hucksters.

From Time

Technology allows hucksters with distant landlines — and now mobile phones — to display local numbers in an effort to trick you to answer.

From Washington Post

A published article compares state sponsored police brutality to the individual actions of a two-bit huckster on Youtube.

From The Daily Beast

Also genuine, however, is the huckster aspect of the Ron Paul persona.

From The Daily Beast

But has the Huckster waited too long to get in the game this time?

From The Daily Beast

But my humiliation goes even deeper, for I must parade my poor wares before you like any huckster, beseeching you to buy.

From Project Gutenberg

No one save Jacques the huckster lives there, why should he excite any attention?

From Project Gutenberg

Everything was still on the streets except the clatter of the milk carts, and the early drays and huckster wagons.

From Project Gutenberg

Miss Grey, a small huckster who kept a little vegetable shop, was one day showing off her rings and bracelets to our servant.

From Project Gutenberg

A few huckster men were beginning to go round, but Hudson Market was the place to buy fresh vegetables that came in every morning.

From Project Gutenberg