noun
shyster
SHYS-tuh
noun
1
A dishonest or unscrupulous person, especially a lawyer or politician.
"The tenants accused their landlord's attorney of being a shyster."
How to Use Shyster
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn informal, disapproving word for a crooked or sleazy operator, often a lawyer.
When to use it
Informal and derogatory; not appropriate for formal or legal writing.
Word Forms
shystered past tense, shysters plural, shysters singular
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The tenants accused their landlord's attorney of being a _____.
Etymology
Of disputed American origin, possibly linked to an old sense of "shy" meaning disreputable, or to a German word meaning someone worthless.