trickster

[trik-ster]

noun

1. a deceiver; cheat; fraud.

2. a person who plays tricks.

3. a supernatural figure appearing in various guises and typically engaging in mischievous activities, important in the folklore and mythology of many primitive peoples and usually conceived as a culture hero.

trickster

/ ˈtrɪkstə /

noun

1. a person who deceives or plays tricks

Other Word Forms

• trickstering noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of trickster¹

First recorded in 1705–15; trick + -ster

Example Sentences

Nansi was one of her favorite story topics—she’d tell me about the trickster god cutting deals, bending the rules, and weaving schemes as intricate as a spiderweb between tree branches.

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Watching a trickster hypnotize someone in a live performance might impress you.

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The work in question is a "maqāma" -- an Arabic literary form that often features a wandering "trickster."

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Sprawling compounds where internet tricksters target people with romance and business cons have thrived along Myanmar's loosely governed border during its civil war, sparked by a 2021 coup.

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“I am determined to fight these Chinese in court. They are tricksters.”

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Related Words

• con artist