conman

IPA/ˈkɒnmæn/
IPA/ˈkɑːnmæn/

conman — noun

1. a man who earns money or property by gaining people's trust through clever lies

1.nounB2
Definition

a man who earns money or property by gaining people's trust through clever lies and false promises, then taking what they give him.

Example

Piotr's grandmother lost her savings to a conman who phoned pretending to be from her bank.

phone scam scenario

The police finally caught the conman who had been selling fake concert tickets in Camden.

the conman who + relative clause

Common collocations
  • a notorious conman
  • a smooth-talking conman
  • a serial conman
  • fall for a conman
  • expose a conman
  • the conman behind the scheme
Synonyms
  • con artist

    gender-neutral; very common in news and everyday speech

  • fraudster

    more formal; common in legal and news writing

  • swindler

    slightly old-fashioned; emphasises taking money by deception

  • scammer

    modern, often used for online or phone fraud

Antonyms
  • victim

    the person tricked by a conman, not a counterpart trickster

Grammar Patterns

a conman

the conman who ...

be a conman

Usage Note

Implies a male offender; for a woman doing the same thing, English speakers usually say 'con artist' or 'fraudster'. The word focuses on the social trick — gaining trust first — rather than physical theft.

Common Mistakes

She is a great conman.
She is a great con artist.
'conman' specifies a male; use 'con artist' or 'fraudster' for a woman or when the gender is unknown.
The conman robbed her with a knife.
The robber threatened her with a knife.
'conman' implies trickery, not violent theft; use 'robber' or 'mugger' for armed crime.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe someone who takes money or property through deception, but they differ in formality and reach. 'Conman' is informal and specifies a man; British and Australian newspapers use it heavily, while American writers slightly prefer 'con artist'. 'Con artist' is gender-neutral and slightly more vivid — the 'artist' part hints at the skill and charm involved. 'Fraudster' sits at the formal end and is the standard term in legal proceedings, regulatory reports, and serious news. 'Scammer' is the most modern of the group and almost always implies phone, email, or online tricks rather than face-to-face deception. Use 'conman' for a man working a personal-trust scheme; 'fraudster' for a court report; 'scammer' for the texts pretending to be from your delivery company.

conman ↗con artist ↗fraudster ↗scammer

Common collocations

Nouns

  • a notorious conman
  • a serial conman
  • a smooth-talking conman
  • a charming conman

Phrases

  • fall for a conman
  • expose a conman
  • pose as
  • the conman behind

Prepositions

  • taken in by a conman
  • tricked by a conman

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Compound of 'con' (short for 'confidence', as in 'confidence trick') and 'man'. The phrase 'confidence man' was coined in 1849 in New York newspapers to describe a swindler named William Thompson who first won his victims' trust before borrowing their watches. 'Confidence man' was shortened to 'conman' (or 'con-man') by the late 19th century.