shill

[shil]Slang.

See more synonyms for shill on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who poses as a customer in order to decoy others into participating, as at a gambling house, auction, confidence game, etc.
a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty.

verb (used without object)

to work as a shill: He shills for a large casino.

verb (used with object)

to advertise or promote (a product) as or in the manner of a huckster; hustle: He was hired to shill a new TV show.

Origin of shill

First recorded in 1920–25; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for shilled

lure, fascinate, seduce, ensnare, entice, tempt, mislead, delude, allure, tout, trap, deceive, toll, wile, inveigle, steer, con, shill, mousetrap, ensorcell

Examples from the Web for shilled

Contemporary Examples of shilled

She never wowed the nation with her athletic prowess, shilled in countless car commercials, or entertained in film comedies.
Worse Than O.J.!
Marcia Clark
July 5, 2011
Jamie Jungers is starring in an ad, Ashley Dupré is promoting the New York Post—even Monica shilled for Jenny Craig.
From Sex Scandal to Corporate Brand
Tracy Quan
December 23, 2009

British Dictionary definitions for shilled

shill

noun

slang a confidence trickster's assistant, esp a person who poses as an ordinary customer, gambler, etc, in order to entice others to participate

Word Origin for shill

C20: perhaps shortened from shillaber a circus barker, of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for shilled

shill

"one who acts as a decoy for a gambler, auctioneer, etc.," 1916, probably originally circus or carnival argot, probably a shortened form of shillaber (1913) with the same meaning, origin unknown. The verb is attested from 1914. Related: Shilled; shilling.