con

/kɑn/
/kɒn/
IPA guide

Other forms: cons

A con, or confidence game, is a swindle — when you take advantage of someone's trust. If you con someone out of their life savings, you might wind up a con — as in convict.

The word con has many meanings, none of them good. An argument has pros and cons, and the cons are always the downside. An ex-con is someone who spent time in jail as a convict, and a con artist is someone who scams people out of their money.

Definitions of con
  1. noun
    an argument opposed to a proposal
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    pro
    an argument in favor of a proposal
    type of:
    argument, statement
    a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true
  2. adverb
    in opposition to a proposition, opinion, etc.
    “much was written pro and con”
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    pro
    in favor of a proposition, opinion, etc.
  3. noun
    (offensive) a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
    synonyms: bunco, bunco game, bunko, bunko game, con game, confidence game, confidence trick, flimflam, hustle, sting
    see moresee less
    types:
    sting operation
    a complicated confidence game planned and executed with great care (especially an operation implemented by undercover agents to apprehend criminals)
    type of:
    cheat, rig, swindle
    the act of swindling by some fraudulent scheme
  4. verb
    (offensive) deprive of by deceit
    synonyms: bunco, defraud, diddle, gip, goldbrick, hornswoggle, mulct, nobble, rook, scam, short-change, shortchange, swindle, victimize
    see moresee less
    types:
    short, short-change, shortchange
    cheat out of by giving back less money than is due to someone who has overpaid
    type of:
    cheat, chisel, rip off
    deprive somebody of something by deceit
  5. verb
    commit to memory; learn by heart
    synonyms: learn, memorise, memorize
    see moresee less
    types:
    alternate, understudy
    be an understudy or alternate for a role
    type of:
    hit the books, study
    learn by reading books
  6. noun
    a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
    synonyms: convict, inmate, yard bird, yardbird
    see moresee less
    types:
    lifer
    a prisoner serving a term of life imprisonment
    trusty
    a convict who is considered trustworthy and granted special privileges
    type of:
    captive, prisoner
    a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
Pronunciation
US
/kɑn/
UK
/kɒn/
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Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing con

Common Core Grades 7–8, List 7

Vocabulary is key to performing well on Common Core-aligned tests for English Language Arts as well as for building literacy in social studies, science, and technical subjects. This collection features common tier-2 words that are taught and tested in Grades 7 and 8. These words are used in a variety of contexts, exhibit different shades of meaning based on those contexts, and appear commonly in classroom instruction and on standardized assessments. Here are links to our lists in the collection: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6, List 7, List 8

"Curtis Aikens and the American Dream" and "Go For It!"

Edge: Level B, Volume 1, Unit 4, Cluster 1. Here are the links to the other clusters within Unit 4: "Curtis Aikens and the American Dream" and "Go For It!", "Superman and Me", "A Smart Cookie", and "It's Our Story, Too", "The Fast and the Fuel-Efficient" and "Teens Open Doors"

Common Core Grades 9–10, List 7

Vocabulary is key to performing well on Common Core-aligned tests for English Language Arts as well as for building literacy in social studies, science, and technical subjects. This collection features common tier-2 words that are taught and tested in Grades 9 and 10. These words are used in a variety of contexts, exhibit different shades of meaning based on those contexts, and appear commonly in classroom instruction and on standardized assessments. Here are links to our lists for the collection: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6, List 7, List 8

MORE VOCABULARY LISTS