Vocapedia
Log inTry for Free
Log in

Looking up...

Words

  • Words of the Year
  • Recent Lookups
  • My Dictionary

Languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German

Features

  • Words of the Year
  • My Collections List
  • Reviews
  • Learning Resources
  • Community Collections

Learn

  • How It Works
  • Study Guides
  • Language Tips
  • FAQ
  • Getting Started
  • For Individuals
  • For Teachers

Community

  • Forum
  • Blog
  • Help Center
  • Partnerships

About

  • About Vocapedia
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • GDPR Compliance
© 2026 Vocapedia. All rights reserved.

confidence trick

/ˈkɒnfɪdəns trɪk/
noun phrase★Intermediate— a fraudulent scheme
⚖️Law
informal

A dishonest plan or scheme designed to trick people into giving money or information, often by gaining their trust.

The con artist used a confidence trick to sell fake investments to wealthy clients.

The scammer convinced people to invest in non-existent projects.

She fell for a confidence trick where she was promised a large inheritance.

She was deceived into believing she would receive money from a fake relative.

💡

Also known as a 'con' or 'scam'.

Collocations

run a confidence trickto carry out a fraudulent schemefall for a confidence trickto be deceived by a scam

Synonyms

scamconfraudhoax

Antonyms

honest deallegitimate business

Related Phrases

con artistphrase
a person who performs confidence tricks
Ponzi schemephrase
a fraudulent investment scam

💡Pro Tip

Recognizing Confidence Tricks

Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true or requests for personal information.

⚡Gold Rule

Legal Consequences

Perpetrating a confidence trick is illegal and can result in criminal charges.

📖Word Origin

From 'confidence' (trust) and 'trick' (deception), referring to gaining trust to deceive.

📝Usage Notes

Common in discussions about fraud, crime, and deception. Often used in informal contexts.

Word Breakdown

confidence
trust or faith
root
+
trick
a deceptive act
root
English Dictionary

Learning Progress

Track your learning journey!

• Save words to build your vocabulary

• Monitor your daily streak

• Get personalized review reminders

• See words learned statistics

Log in to access advanced features and track your progress!

Go to Dashboard →

Recent Lookups

The most recent words being looked up. Stay up to date with what language learners are exploring.