loan shark

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a person who lends money at excessively high rates of interest; usurer.

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loan shark British  

noun

1. informal a person who lends funds at illegal or exorbitant rates of interest

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Etymology

Origin of loan shark

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

By charging fees that would make a loan shark blush.

From MarketWatch

I doubt any partnership would have sought to game the rating agencies, or leapt into bed with loan sharks, or even allowed mezzanine CDOs to be sold to its customers.

From Literature

A new credit union has loan sharks in its sights as it becomes the first of its kind to launch in Stoke-on-Trent in more than a decade.

From BBC

A clip of their shared cubicle scene — in which loan shark Kathy rags on Dreux’s low credit score — has captured more than 9.2 million views on Instagram since the film’s Jan. 17 release.

From Los Angeles Times

He was into loan sharks in Hells Kitchen, on the Lower East Side, the Village, all over town when it came right down to it.

From Salon