What does euchred mean?
Euchred is the past tense and past participle of the verb euchre, which has two related meanings. Its primary sense is to cheat, swindle, or trick someone, especially out of money or property: a person might be described as having been euchred out of their savings by a dishonest business partner. The word's second sense belongs specifically to the card game euchre, popular in the United States, where to euchre one's opponents is to stop them from taking the tricks required to win a hand. The verb derives from the name of the game itself, whose origin is uncertain but likely traces back through German to French, possibly from écarté or a term meaning a trump card. In register, euchred is informal and carries a slightly old-fashioned flavor; it appears more often in American than British English, and it almost always implies deliberate deception rather than honest misfortune.
To have cheated, tricked, or swindled someone, especially out of money or property.
"Investors said they were euchred by a company that never intended to build anything."
In the card game euchre, to have prevented opponents from taking the tricks they needed to score.
"We euchred them on the last deal when they tried to march alone."
The verb "euchre" comes from the name of a card game — so being "euchred" literally means losing at your own game.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of euchred
The verb euchre comes from the name of the card game euchre, which became popular in the United States in the mid-19th century. The game's name itself is of uncertain origin, but it is generally thought to derive from German Jucker or from the French écarté family of terms, possibly connected to the French word for a jack or trumpery. From the name of the game came the figurative sense of cheating or defeating someone, since winning at euchre involves preventing opponents from making their bid.
Related word forms
How euchred is actually used
Informal and somewhat dated; most common in American English. The swindling sense is usually followed by "out of."
Easily confused with euchred
"Yoked" means joined or harnessed together (as with oxen), while "euchred" means cheated or tricked.