hustle

Pronunciation: /ˈhʌsəl/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
  2. noun a rapid active commotion
  3. verb cause to move furtively and hurriedly

Etymology

From Dutch husselen or by metathesis from Dutch hutselen (“to shake up”), a frequentative of hutsen (“to stir, to move something (back and forth)”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

bunco, bunco game, bunko, bunko game, con, confidence trick, confidence game, con game, gyp, sting, flimflam

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
swindle
Narrower (hyponyms)
sting operation

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