Con — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adverb adjective /ˈkän/

Meaning & Definition of Con

Con (noun)

  1. something (such as a ruse) used deceptively to gain another's confidence; also, a confidence game, swindle
  2. convict
  3. convention
  4. an argument or evidence in opposition
  5. the negative position or one holding it
  6. a destructive disease of the lungs; especially, tuberculosis

Con (verb)

  1. swindle
  2. manipulate
  3. persuade, cajole
  4. to commit to memory
  5. to study or examine closely
  6. to conduct or direct the steering of (a vessel, such as a ship)

Con (adverb)

  1. on the negative side, in opposition

Con (adjective)

  1. confidence

Con (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person convicted as a criminal and serving a prison sentence

    "a program to help ex-cons find employment"

    similar: convict, jailbird
    related: lifer, trusty, parolee, probationer, captive, capture, inmate, internee, prisoner

  2. an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value

    "the explanation was so plausible that I never suspected it was all a con to make off with my car"

    similar: bunco, fiddle (chiefly British), flimflam, fraud, hustle, scam, shell game, sting, swindle
    related: cross, fix, Ponzi scheme, pyramid scheme, racket, rip-off, thimblerig, three-card monte, device, dodge, gimmick, jig, ploy, scheme, sleight, stratagem, trick, wile, gouging, overcharging, soaking, counterfeit, fake, forgery, hoax, humbug, phony, sham

Con (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to commit to memory

    "usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib"

    similar: learn, memorize, study
    related: hark back (to), mind (chiefly dialect), recall, recollect, relive, remember, reminisce (about), retain, think (of), accept, apprehend, comprehend, get, grasp, know, understand, absorb, digest
    opposite: unlearn
    near: disremember, forget, misremember, disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, slur (over)

  2. to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition)

    "seemed to be conning his face for any sign of uncertainty"

    similar: audit, check (out), examine, inspect, overlook, oversee, review, scan, scrutinize, survey, view, go over
    related: notice, observe, watch, comb, peruse, pore (over), analyze, dissect, parse, delve (into), explore, investigate, plumb, probe, research, study, categorize, classify, pick over, reinspect, rereview, resurvey
    near: skim, glance (at or over), miss

  3. to rob by the use of trickery or threats

    "a fly-by-night operator who had conned hundreds of would-be homeowners out of their hard-earned money"

    similar: beat, bilk, bleed, cheat, chisel, chouse, cozen, defraud, diddle, do, do in, euchre, fiddle, fleece, flimflam, gaff, hose (slang), hustle, mulct, nobble (British slang), pluck, ream, rip off, rook, screw, shake down, short, shortchange, skin, skunk, squeeze, stick, stiff, sting, sucker, swindle, thimblerig, victimize, sell a bill of goods to, take for a ride, take to the cleaners
    related: extort, wrench, wrest, wring, clip, gouge, nick, overcharge, soak, exploit, milk, deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick, rope (in), betray, bitch, double-cross, bamboozle, fast-talk

  4. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "tried to con me into thinking that he had actually won the lottery"

    similar: bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on (chiefly British), hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, suck in, sucker, take in, trick, do a number on, lead one down the garden path, pull one's leg, pull the wool over one's eyes
    related: kid, put on, tease, bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, fleece, flimflam, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle
    opposite: undeceive
    near: debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveil, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

Related Entry: Conn (verb)

Conn is a different word from Con. The synonyms below are for conn, not for con.

  1. to operate or control the course of

    "there was white-knuckle tension as the captain conned the gunboat through the mine-infested harbor"

    similar: helm, navigate, pilot, steer
    related: commandeer, hijack

Related Entry: Mod con (noun)

Mod con is a different word from Con. The synonyms below are for mod con, not for con.

  1. something that adds to one's ease of living

    "bedrooms at the English country inn are filled with 18th-century charm, while the bathrooms have all the mod cons that 21st-century tourists demand"

    similar: accommodation, amenity, comfort, convenience, creature comfort, luxury, nicety
    related: bonus, extra, benefit, help, service, anodyne, solace, delight, indulgence, joy, pleasure
    opposite: burden, millstone, weight

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Con

The most common words with a similar meaning to Con:

Chiefly British: fiddle, have on
Slang: hose
British slang: nobble
convict, jailbird, bunco, flimflam, fraud, hustle, scam, shell game, sting, swindle, learn, memorize, study, audit, check (out), examine, inspect, overlook, oversee, review, scan, scrutinize, survey, view, go over, beat, bilk, bleed, cheat, chisel, chouse, cozen, defraud, diddle, do, do in, euchre, fleece, gaff, mulct

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Con

Words with the opposite meaning of Con:

unlearn, undeceive

Related Words for Con

lifer, trusty, parolee, probationer, captive, capture, inmate, internee, prisoner, cross, fix, Ponzi scheme, pyramid scheme, racket, rip-off, three-card monte, device, dodge, gimmick, jig, ploy, scheme, sleight, stratagem, wile, gouging, overcharging, soaking, counterfeit, fake

Near Antonyms of Con

disremember, forget, misremember, disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, slur (over), skim, glance (at or over), miss, debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveil, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

Word Forms of Con

Inflections: conned, conning, cons

Origin & Etymology of Con

derivative of con:7

First known use: 1901

Frequently Asked Questions about Con

What does "Con" mean?

"Con" means something (such as a ruse) used deceptively to gain another's confidence; also, a confidence game, swindle. As an a noun, a verb, an adverb and an adjective, it is defined as: something (such as a ruse) used deceptively to gain another's confidence; also, a confidence game, swindle. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Con"?

Other words for "Con" include convict, jailbird, bunco, fiddle, flimflam, fraud, hustle and scam. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Con" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Con"?

There are 187 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Con". Common alternatives include convict, jailbird, bunco, fiddle, flimflam, fraud, hustle, scam, shell game and sting.

What is the opposite of "Con"?

Antonyms of "Con" include unlearn and undeceive. Near antonyms include disremember, forget, misremember and disregard.

How do you use "Con" in a sentence?

Examples of "Con" in a sentence: "a program to help ex-cons find employment"; "the explanation was so plausible that I never suspected it was all a con to make off with my car"; "usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib".

Is "Con" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Con" can be used as a noun, a verb, an adverb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Con"?

"Con" is pronounced /ˈkän/.

What is the origin of the word "Con"?

"Con" comes from derivative of con:7. First known use: 1901.