real shark

1 7.8

A person who pushes hard to get the best business deals

noun

Informal

: tiburón

You have to be a real shark to succeed in the world of corporate law.

Examples

She's a real shark in negotiations, always getting the best deals for her clients.
Everyone in the office knows Jake is a real shark when it comes to closing sales.
She is a real shark in negotiations.
Many real sharks thrive in competitive markets.
In the competitive world of finance, she is a real shark who never backs down from a deal.
His reputation as a real shark in negotiations makes him a formidable opponent.
To succeed in business, you need to be a real shark and seize every opportunity.

Synonyms

shark

vsreal shark

Offensive

91 7.9

A person who uses skill and cheating to get money from others

means a highly skilled and aggressive negotiator without implying dishonesty

slough shark

vsreal shark

Offensive

9.9

A person who takes advantage of people who are new to a place

focuses on skillful aggression in business rather than preying on the vulnerable

Antonyms

amateur

175 3.5

Done by someone who is not a professional and shows little skill

How Effective

real shark

Informal

1 7.8

negotiator

171 4.6

novice

46 3.4

Surface Forms

real shark singular

real sharks plural

Morphology

real + shark

Given 'real' = genuine and 'shark' = a predatory person in deals, the phrase simply composes those meanings: a genuinely predatory/very skilled negotiator. The adjective+noun intensification is a regular, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent senses will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Real shark may come from the image of a shark in the sea: a fast, strong hunter that attacks other fish without fear. So, when we call someone a real shark, we mean they are very skilled and often tough in business or when they make deals — 'highly skilled and aggressive'.