converb [ T ]
uk/kɒn/us/kɑːn/-nn- informalto make someone believe something false, usually so that that person will give you their money or possessions:
She felt she had been conned into buying the car.
Thieves conned him out of his life savings.
He managed to con £20 out of them (= get that amount from them by deceiving them).
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Cheating & tricking
- a numbers game idiom
- bad faith
- bamboozle
- bilk
- blackmail
- fleece
- gag
- hoodwink
- impersonate
- jape
- jiggery-pokery
- lead sb a (merry) dance idiom
- poison
- scam
- scammer
- screw
- sell sb a bill of goods idiom
- send/give out (all) the wrong signals idiom
- shaft
- wool
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connoun
uk/kɒn/us/kɑːn/con noun (TRICK)
[ C ] informal a trick to get someone's money or make someone do what you want:
It's a con - you get half the food for twice the price!
a con trick
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Cheating & tricking
- a numbers game idiom
- bad faith
- bamboozle
- bilk
- blackmail
- fleece
- gag
- hoodwink
- impersonate
- jape
- jiggery-pokery
- lead sb a (merry) dance idiom
- poison
- scam
- scammer
- screw
- sell sb a bill of goods idiom
- send/give out (all) the wrong signals idiom
- shaft
- wool
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con noun (DISADVANTAGE)
[ C usually plural ] informal a disadvantage or a reason for not doing something:
One of the cons of buying a bigger car is that it costs more to run.
You have to weigh up all the pros and cons of the matter before you make a decision.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Advantage and disadvantage
- a free ride idiom
- a stick to beat sb with idiom
- advantage
- an ace up your sleeve idiom
- attraction
- be/stay/keep one jump ahead idiom
- cash
- cash in on sth
- edge
- fish
- it's tough at the top idiom
- lock in sth
- lock sb out of sth
- lose out
- make a virtue (out) of sth idiom
- piggyback
- profit
- profit from sth
- you've got nothing to lose idiom
- your best/strongest/trump card idiom
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con noun (PRISONER)
[ C ] slang a convict noun
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
People held in prison
- captive
- cellmate
- convict
- detainee
- detenu
- gaolbird
- hostage
- inmate
- internee
- jailbird
- lag
- lifer
- political prisoner
- pow
- prisoner
- prisoner of conscience
- prisoner of war