swindler
Americannoun
-
swindlers
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of swindler
First recorded in 1765–75; from German Schwindler “irresponsible person, promoter of wildcat schemes, cheat,” derivative of schwindeln “to be dizzy (hence be dizzy-minded, be irresponsible), defraud,” equivalent to schwind- (cognate with Old English swindan “to languish”) + -(e)l- + -er; cf. -le, -er 1 ( def. )
Explanation
If you know someone is a swindler, stay away from him. Swindlers are scammers who con people to make a buck. Unfortunately, there are many types of people in the world who will try to get your money. Somewhere between a used car salesman and an outright thief is a swindler — someone who lies to get your money, sometimes by suggesting you invest in something phony. Many people on the Internet asking for money are swindlers, and if anyone tries to sell you a bridge, that's likely another swindler. Swindlers are also called grifters, scammers, and con artists. The last person in the world you should give money to is a swindler.
Vocabulary lists containing swindler
The Jungle
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All My Sons
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The Boy Who Dared
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He is a swindler, a snob and a savage misanthrope.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
An already-tense relationship appeared to worsen further last week with Mr Altman taunting Mr Musk's offer on X, and Mr Musk retorting by calling his onetime partner a "swindler".
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2025
Gohar Abelian took in three kids abandoned by her sister, a swindler who fled to Montenegro, but cannot retrieve the $100,000 in bail she posted, judge rules.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2023
Rachel DeLoache Williams, a photo editor who befriended New York socialite and swindler Anna Sorokin, is suing Netflix over its portrayal of her in its wildly popular “Inventing Anna” show, released earlier this year.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 31, 2022
A picture emerged of an unstable deadbeat, swindler, and failed lawyer and lecturer.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
But bigger numbers written on checks make them a bigger target for swindlers, Anchin said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Google sued swindlers accused in losses totaling $1.9 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Investigators tell Barron’s that they have already seen some common tactics in small-cap Chinese IPOs that will make it hard to identify potential swindlers.
From Barron's ● Dec. 3, 2025
And so on Monday, as Filipinos demanded an explanation, President Marcos Jr announced an inquiry that would "unmask the swindlers and find out how much they stole".
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2025
“You the two swindlers who just left the encampment?” says the messenger, looking down from his mount.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
