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noun C1 Advanced Common

con

kon
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Con (noun) means a dishonest scheme designed to trick someone, usually to take their money. Example: “The free holiday offer was just a con to get her bank details.”

noun
1
A dishonest scheme designed to trick someone, usually to take their money.
"The free holiday offer was just a con to get her bank details."
"The whole investment offer turned out to be a con."
"He fell for a con and lost his savings."
2
A disadvantage of something, especially when weighed against its benefits.
"The only con of the cheaper hotel is the long walk to the beach."
"One con of working from home is that you can feel isolated."
"Every job has its pros and cons."
3
(informal) A convicted criminal.
"The prison officer chatted with an old con who was due for release."
"Police suspected the burglar was a former con."
"The film follows an ex-con trying to go straight."
4
A large organized gathering for fans of a hobby or genre, such as comics or gaming.
"Fans queued outside the con to meet their favourite artists."
"My sister sells her handmade comic books at a con every summer."
"They dressed up as their favorite characters for the con."
verb
1
To trick or cheat someone, typically for personal gain.
"Don't let anyone con you into paying for a service you never ordered."
"The salesman conned us into buying a machine that didn't work."
"She conned an elderly couple out of thousands of pounds."

How to use con

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMost commonly, either a scam meant to cheat someone, or the downside of something (as in "pros and cons"); also slang for a convict or a fan convention.

Common mistake

Don't confuse this "con" (scam/downside) with the unrelated older verb "con" meaning to study carefully — they look identical but come from different origins.

Common pairings
pull a con con artist pros and cons sci-fi con
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Word forms

Plural
cons
Third person singular
cons
Past tense
conned
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The free holiday offer was just a _____ to get her bank details.

Etymology

The "trick" and "convict" senses are shortened forms of confidence (as in "confidence trick") and convict. The older verb sense meaning "to study closely" comes from Old English cunnan, "to know" — the same root as "can."

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

View more →
swindle scam trick hoax dupe hoodwink flimflam convict bunco inmate bunko hustle

Antonyms

pro

Related words

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Frequently asked questions

What does “con” mean?
The word “con” means a dishonest scheme designed to trick someone, usually to take their money. In plain terms, most commonly, either a scam meant to cheat someone, or the downside of something (as in "pros and cons"); also slang for a convict or a fan convention.
How do you pronounce “con”?
“Con” is pronounced kon (/kɑn/ in IPA).
How do you use “con” in a sentence?
Here is “con” used in a sentence: “The whole investment offer turned out to be a con.”
What is the opposite of “con”?
The opposite of “con” — its antonyms — is pro.
What part of speech is “con”?
Depending on how it is used, “con” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “con” come from?
The word “con” comes from Old English.
Is “con” a common word?
“Con” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
How many meanings does “con” have?
“Con” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a dishonest scheme designed to trick someone, usually to take their money.
What is the difference between a "con" and a "scam"?
A con and a scam both describe dishonest schemes designed to trick people out of money, and the words are often interchangeable. "Con" is short for "confidence trick" and stresses gaining the victim's trust first, while "scam" is a broader, more general term for any fraudulent scheme.
When should you use "con" instead of "defraud"?
"Con" is informal and conversational, suited to everyday speech like "they conned him out of his savings." "Defraud" is formal and often legal, used in contracts, reports, and court settings where precise, serious language is expected.

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