Shylock

American  

[shahy-lok] / ˈʃaɪ lɒk /

noun

1. a relentless and revengeful moneylender in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.

2. a hard-hearted moneylender.

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verb (used without object)

1. (lowercase) to lend money at extortionate rates of interest.

Shylock British  

/ ˈʃaɪˌlɒk /

noun

1. a heartless or demanding creditor

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Shylock Cultural  

1. The merciless moneylender in The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare. He demands a pound of flesh (see also pound of flesh) from the title character of the play after the merchant defaults on his debt.

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Discover More

Shylock is a Jew (see also Jews), and there has long been controversy over whether Shakespeare's portrayal of Shylock contributes to prejudice against Jews. Shylock is a cruel miser and eventually is heavily fined and disgraced, but he maintains his dignity. At one point in the play, he makes a famous, eloquent assertion that his desire for revenge is the same desire that a Christian would feel in his place. “I am a Jew,” says Shylock. “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?”

Other Word Forms

• Shylockian
  adjective
• Shylocky
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of Shylock

C19: after Shylock, the name of the heartless usurer in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (1596)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Shylock

But before Page reaches Iago, he spends time with Shylock from the “The Merchant of Venice.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2026

He played Shylock in a 2005 production of “The Merchant of Venice” and Gremio in “The Taming of the Shrew,” among many other roles.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 24, 2023

British actor Tracy-Ann Oberman, who is Jewish and currently playing Jewish character Shylock in a production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, wrote about representation in a post on Instagram this week.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2023

That Thompson is Black and Shylock is Jewish adds rarely explored dimensions to “The Merchant of Venice,” which began its run at Shakespeare Theatre Company on March 22.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 7, 2022

After we closed our books, Mrs. Baker asked me to discuss the character of Shylock.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt

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