cozener

9.9

A person who tricks people to get their money or things

noun
/ˈkoʊzənər/

Archaic

: estafador

The cozener tricked the elderly couple into handing over their savings.

Examples

Tilly's too honest to play the cozener.

Fiction book (1994)
"He won't have told you, George, but his profession, before he became a wonder worker and cozener of the innocent, was turning people off their farms.

Fiction book (1993)
She realized too late that the man she trusted was just a cozener looking for easy money.
His reputation as a cozener made it difficult for him to find honest work.

Synonyms

crook

vscozener

Offensive

153 3.9

A dishonest person who cheats or steals

focuses specifically on cheating by trickery or fraud rather than all crime

cheater

vscozener

Offensive

112 2.6

A person who breaks the rules or lies to get an advantage

centres on deceptive trickery or fraud rather than rule-breaking alone

cheat

vscozener

Offensive

55 2.6

A person who acts dishonestly to gain an unfair advantage

is narrower on trickery and fraudulent schemes rather than rule breaches

scoundrel

vscozener

Offensive

51 6.5

A person who behaves dishonestly and hurts others by lying or stealing

is specific to cheating by trickery or fraud rather than general immorality

con man

vscozener

47 4.7

A person who tricks people by gaining their trust to get their money

covers deceit generally, not only this person-to-person confidence technique

con artist

vscozener

40 4.8

A person who tricks people by gaining their trust to take their money or valuables

is the broader practice of trickery or fraud beyond trust scams

scammer

vscozener

NSFW

20 4.0

A person who tricks others to take their money or things

describes fraud broadly, not only modern or organised scams

trickster

vscozener

20 6.0

A person who lies to or cheats others, often to have fun

is more focused on harming or defrauding rather than playful tricking

grifter

vscozener

Slang

16 9.1

A person who tricks others to get their money or things

is a general label for deception, not limited to those schemes

swindler

vscozener

15 5.4

A person who tricks people to take their money

is the general act of deceiving, not only to get money

shyster

vscozener

Offensive

14 9.9

A person, often a lawyer or politician, who acts dishonestly to get what they want

is general deceit by trickery, not limited to professional contexts

duper

vscozener

Offensive

13 7.9

A person who tricks others to take their money or things

is the general type of deceptive behaviour, not only personal tricking

snake in the grass

vscozener

Offensive

5 8.1

A person who pretends to be friendly but secretly harms or tricks you

is broader deception by trickery or fraud, not necessarily false friendliness

carny

vscozener

Offensive

3 9.2

A person who tricks others to get their money

is the general term for cheating by trickery or fraud

chiseler

vscozener

Offensive

3 9.8

A person who cheats others by lying and taking their money

is the wider act of trickery or fraud across scales

double-crosser

vscozener

Offensive

2 6.8

A person who pretends to be loyal but betrays someone

involves general cheating or fraud, not necessarily betrayal of trust

defrauder

vscozener

Formal

1 7.9

A person who gets money by lying to or tricking people

includes all cheating by trickery, not only legal fraud charges

gouger

vscozener

Offensive

1 9.9

A person who cheats people to get money

is broader, meaning deceit in many forms beyond specific swindles

rooker

vscozener

Offensive

1 9.9

A person who cheats others to get money or things

is the modern description of cheating by trickery or fraud

wangler

vscozener

1 9.9

A person who tricks others using clever, dishonest methods to get what they want

focuses more on trickery and fraud rather than general cleverness

bamboozler

vscozener

Informal

1 7.8

A person who tricks or cheats people, often as a joke

is usually more serious, focusing on fraud and wrongdoing rather than play

finagler

vscozener

Offensive

9.8

A person who gets things by tricking or lying to others

is the broader idea of deceiving, not only clever acquisition

flimflammer

vscozener

Archaic

9.9

A person who cheats others with tricks or fake deals

covers the same deception but without stressing playful or petty scams

swizz

vscozener

Offensive

9.9

A person who tricks others to take their money

is a targeted deceptive person using trickery or fraud specifically

flayer

vscozener

Offensive

9.9

A person who charges too much for goods or services

is the wider act of deception, not only price exploitation

diddler

vscozener

Offensive

8.6

A person who cheats others to get small amounts of money

is the general category of trickery and fraud at any scale

shammer

vscozener

9.6

A person who pretends to be someone else to trick people

is the broader deceptive role, not only false pretending or imposture

magsman

vscozener

Archaic

9.9

A person who tricks others using clever talk to take their money

is the current general term for cheating or fraudulent trickery

How Deceptive

swindler

15 5.4

cozener

Archaic

9.9

con artist

40 4.8

cheater

Offensive

112 2.6

deceiver

13 5.5

trickster

20 6.0

Surface Forms

cozener singular

cozeners plural

Morphology

cozener = cozen (transparent) = cozen + er

Formed from the verb 'cozen' with the common agentive suffix '-er', so the meaning 'one who cozens' is directly predictable from the base.

Etymology

Cozener comes from the older verb cozen ('to cheat') and the ending -er that names a person, so a cozener is simply 'one who cheats' or tricks others.