CON (conned, conning)

Pronunciation (US):

• CON (noun)
  The noun CON has 3 senses:

1. an argument opposed to a proposal
2. a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
3. a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property

  Familiarity information: CON used as a noun is uncommon.

• CON (verb)
  The verb CON has 2 senses:

1. deprive of by deceit
2. commit to memory; learn by heart

  Familiarity information: CON used as a verb is rare.

• CON (adverb)
  The adverb CON has 1 sense:

1. on the negative side

  Familiarity information: CON used as an adverb is very rare.

• CON (noun)

Meaning:

An argument opposed to a proposal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("con" is a kind of...):

argument; statement (a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true)

Antonym:

pro (an argument in favor of a proposal)

Meaning:

A person serving a sentence in a jail or prison

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

jailbird; jail bird; gaolbird; convict; con; yard bird; yardbird; inmate

Hypernyms ("con" is a kind of...):

captive; prisoner (a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "con"):

lifer (a prisoner serving a term of life imprisonment)

trusty (a convict who is considered trustworthy and granted special privileges)

Meaning:

A swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

bunco; gyp; flimflam; confidence trick; confidence game; con game; bunko game; bunko; bunco game; hustle; con; sting

Hypernyms ("con" is a kind of...):

cheat; rig; swindle (the act of swindling by some fraudulent scheme)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "con"):

sting operation (a complicated confidence game planned and executed with great care (especially an operation implemented by undercover agents to apprehend criminals))

• CON (verb)

Meaning:

Deprive of by deceit

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

swindle; scam; rook; nobble; mulct; hornswoggle; gyp; goldbrick; gip; diddle; defraud; con; bunco; short-change; victimize

Context examples:

He swindled me out of my inheritance / She defrauded the customers who trusted her / the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change

Hypernyms (to "con" is one way to...):

cheat; chisel; rip off (deprive somebody of something by deceit)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "con"):

short; short-change (cheat someone by not returning him enough money)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Sentence example:

They con him of all his money

Meaning:

Commit to memory; learn by heart

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

memorize; memorise; con; learn

Context example:

Have you memorized your lines for the play yet?

Hypernyms (to "con" is one way to...):

hit the books; study (learn by reading books)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "con"):

alternate; understudy (be an understudy or alternate for a role)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

• CON (adverb)

Meaning:

On the negative side

Synonyms:

con; in opposition

Context example:

much was written pro and con

Antonym:

pro (favoring a proposition, opinion, etc.)