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slickster

slickster

1 9.9
A person who seems friendly but tricks others to get what they want
  • noun
  • /ˈslɪkstər/
  • Offensive
translation icon : embaucador
  • She became the office slickster, always finding clever ways to avoid hard work and still get ahead.

Examples

  • After pulling a fast one on his friends, everyone started calling him a slickster who could charm his way out of trouble.

  • The kid was one of Rita's students, a slickster who signed his papers "Belly Man" and who had to be reminded to remove his hat in class.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • This doctor understands his patient's fear but responds with half-truths, thus earning him the title of Slickster.

    Academic text (2014)
  • With Froggy Doo gone, the slicksters at the network, they're going to be all over us.

  • Those physicians who do appear may be broadly grouped into three categories: shadow, slickster, or soothsayer, arranged in increasing order of the humanity they reveal.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The doctors of Dragland and Page undercut the image of the selfless physician of yore; these doctors are Slicksters in that they are protective of their time and concerned with the bottom line.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The politician was known as a slickster for his smooth talk and clever manipulation of the truth.

Synonyms

weasel
vsslickster
  • Offensive
64 7.9

A person who is sneaky and dishonest, often trying to trick others

is centered on clever deceitful cleverness rather than evasive treachery
fox
vsslickster
  • Offensive
47 7.6

A person who is clever and often dishonest or tricky

is more about planned, steady cunning than quick shifty acts
hustler
vsslickster
  • Informal
33 7.6

A person who works hard and uses clever or dishonest ways to succeed

emphasises cunning, deceitful cleverness rather than hard work and energy
trickster
vsslickster
20 6.0

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

is more about calculated, possibly serious deceit rather than playful tricking
shyster
vsslickster
  • Offensive
14 9.9

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

covers cunning deceit in general, not only specific professions
duper
vsslickster
  • Offensive
13 7.9

A person who tricks others to take their money or things

is similar but stresses cunning behaviour rather than just gaining advantage
snake in the grass
vsslickster
  • Offensive
5 8.1

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

is about cunning deceit generally, not only false friendliness or betrayal
bluffer
vsslickster
4 7.0

A person who pretends to have skills or knowledge they do not have

is broader, applying to many forms of clever deceit beyond pretending ability
wheeler-dealer
vsslickster
  • Informal
3 8.0

A person who makes deals using clever or dishonest methods

is primarily about cunning deceit rather than deal-making skill
rooker
vsslickster
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who cheats others to get money or things

is the contemporary idea of someone clever in a deceitful way
defrauder
vsslickster
  • Formal
1 7.9

A person who gets money by lying to or tricking people

is a broader label for clever deceit beyond financial crime
sly fox
vsslickster
1 6.1

A person who is clever and uses tricks to get what they want

is similar but can emphasize opportunistic cleverness rather than steady plotting
wangler
vsslickster
  • UK
1 9.9

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

is about clever deceit generally, not only misleading methods to obtain things
bamboozler
vsslickster
  • Informal
1 7.8

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

is focused on cunning deceit rather than playful or lighthearted tricks
intriguer
vsslickster
1 8.9

A person who secretly plans to trick others for personal gain

is broader, covering general cunning deceit rather than secret plotting alone
finagler
vsslickster
  • Offensive
9.8

A person who gets things by tricking or lying to others

is broader, describing cunning deception beyond obtaining specific gains
flimflammer
vsslickster
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who cheats others with tricks or fake deals

is about clever deceit in general, not limited to formal scams
magsman
vsslickster
  • Archaic
9.9

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

is the modern expression for a clever, deceitful person
Mayberry Machiavelli
vsslickster
  • Informal
9.9

A friendly-looking person who secretly tricks others to gain power

uses cunning deceit too but does not require a folksy disguise
gamesman
vsslickster
  • Archaic
8.8

A person who uses clever and sometimes unfair plans to get an advantage in politics or business

is less about strategy and more about personal cunning and deceit
clever m*therfucker
vsslickster
  • Offensive
9.9

A rude word people use to praise someone very clever and tricky

focuses on cunning deceit rather than admiration or coarse praise

Antonyms

1.0

Truthful and fair, not cheating or lying

straight shooter
  • Informal
13 3.7

A person who tells the truth in a direct, honest way

How Deceitful

swindler
15 5.4
con artist
40 4.8
slickster
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Surface Forms

slickster singular
slicksters plural

Morphology

slickster = slick (semi-transparent) = slick + ster

Formed from the adjective 'slick' with the agentive suffix '-ster'; the basic sense 'person who is slick' is clear but the informal/pejorative nuance of '-ster' is not fully predictable for learners.

Etymology

Slickster comes from slick ('smooth' or 'clever') plus the person ending -ster (as in gangster). Think of someone who is 'smooth' with words and uses that to trick people — that's why a slickster is a person who is clever in a sneaky or dishonest way.