What does conman mean?
A conman is a person who defrauds others by winning their confidence and then exploiting it, usually for financial gain. Unlike an ordinary thief, a conman relies on charm, persuasion, and elaborate deception rather than force, often constructing convincing stories or fake opportunities — bogus investments, romance, or prizes — to persuade victims to hand over money willingly. The word derives from "confidence man", a term that arose in nineteenth-century America, and remains closely associated with its sibling expressions "confidence trick", "con game", and "con artist". Conmen appear constantly in journalism, true-crime reporting, and fiction, where figures like the charming swindlers of novels and films have made the archetype culturally familiar. Because the word implies deliberate, sustained dishonesty, using it about someone is a serious accusation, so writers generally reserve it for proven fraudsters rather than mere exaggerators or salespeople. Its negative charge makes it a vivid, precise choice whenever trust has been weaponised against the trusting.
nounA conman is a person who cheats or deceives others, typically out of money or property, by gaining their trust through an elaborate confidence trick.
- A man who obtains money or property from people by deception and abuse of their trust.
"The elderly widow lost her life savings to a smooth-talking conman who promised her a share in a fictitious property deal."
"Police finally arrested the conman after he swindled a dozen investors with a fake art scheme."
"In the film, a charming conman persuades his victims to hand over their savings before vanishing without a trace."
Standard irregular plural following the pattern of compounds ending in "-man" (e.g. "gentlemen", "firemen").
"Two conmen were sentenced to prison for running a fake lottery scheme."
The word traces back to one of the most audacious scams ever recorded — a stranger who won strangers' trust simply by asking them to trust him.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conman
The word "conman" is a shortened, closed-compound form of "confidence man", a term that emerged in mid-nineteenth-century American English. It is usually traced to the notorious New York criminal William Thompson, who in the late 1840s approached strangers, gained their confidence through conversation, and then persuaded them to hand over their valuables; newspapers covering the case popularised the label "confidence man". The underlying idea comes from the Latin verb "confidere", meaning to trust fully, the same root that gives English "confident", "confide", and "confidant". As the confidence trick spread into British English, the shortened forms "conman", "con man", "con artist", and "confidence trickster" all became established.
Related word forms
How conman is actually used
The term is informal to neutral in register and carries strongly negative connotations. It refers specifically to a man; "conwoman" is the female equivalent, though some writers now use the gender-neutral "con artist" or "confidence trickster" instead.
Easily confused with conman
"Conman" and "con man" are the same word written differently — British style often favours the closed form "conman", while American style typically uses the open compound "con man".