chancer

2 8.2

A person who takes risks to get ahead by ignoring rules or being dishonest

noun
/ˈtʃænsər/

Offensive

: sinvergüenza

Too many chancers believe they can cut corners and get away with it.
a second chancer

So I wasn't one of these like a chancer or, or an idiot on gear.

Examples

Look at chancers like Damian Hurst... built up by Saatchi as part of a market-making move... and with zero talent for anything but self-publicity.

Blog text (31)
Dublin is a city of chancers and cheats and backstabbing snakes.

Leap Year (2010)
Not bad for a chancer from Watford, eh?

Rogue Trader (1999)
Some chancer took a fancy to my handbag.

Finding Your Feet (2017)
Yeah, well, it's the chancers and cheats that you have to watch out for.

Leap Year (2010)
We're looking for this scruffy chancer, not some swashbuckling pirate hunting for buried treasure.

Paddington 2 (2017)
Haven't you heard about these chancers dressed up in orange overalls, pretending to be dustbin boys and coming round for Christmas boxes?

Fiction book (1996)
The main character is a chancer who cons his way on board the boat and is taken for an entertainment officer (Polish kaowiec, from K&O, kultura and oswiata, or culture and education) - a role that he accepts without protest.

Academic text (2016)
He's just a chancer trying to take advantage of the situation.
Tom is not trustworthy; he's a notorious chancer known for bending the rules.

Synonyms

cheater

vschancer

Offensive

112 2.6

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

often takes risks and may ignore rules to gain advantage

cheat

vschancer

Offensive

55 2.6

A person who acts dishonestly to gain an unfair advantage

often takes risks to gain advantage rather than only deceiving

sharper

vschancer

Offensive

50 9.9

A person who cheats at card games to win money

is a general risk taker who acts opportunistically in many situations

trickster

vschancer

20 6.0

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

tends to take risks to gain advantage sometimes ignoring rules

rooker

vschancer

Offensive

1 9.9

A person who cheats others to get money or things

is the modern common term rather than the archaic form

angler

vschancer

Offensive

1 8.5

A person who secretly tries to get an advantage by tricking others

often takes quick risks or seizes chances rather than careful scheming

finagler

vschancer

Offensive

9.8

A person who gets things by tricking or lying to others

is more about taking bold chances and rule breaking opportunism

pouncer

vschancer

7.9

A person who quickly takes advantage of mistakes or chances to get ahead

is more about taking risks and sometimes ignoring rules to gain advantage

Antonyms

honest

∞ 1.0

Truthful and fair, not cheating or lying

law-abiding

63 3.4

Following the law and not breaking rules

How Opportunistic

con artist

40 4.8

opportunist

27 5.9

chancer

Offensive

2 8.2

rogue

129 5.9

law-abiding

63 3.4

Surface Forms

chancer singular

chancers plural

Morphology

chancer = chance (semi-transparent) = chance + er

The word is formed regularly from 'chance' + '-er', but the current meaning is a somewhat specialized pejorative sense for a person who takes risks or seeks advantage.

Etymology

Chancer comes from the common word chance ('luck' or 'risk') plus the ending -er ('one who'), so it literally meant someone who takes chances. That's why a chancer today is a person who takes risky chances to get ahead, often by bending the rules or acting dishonestly.