- (as modifier): con man
- (transitive) to swindle or defraud
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
con1 /kɑn/USA pronunciation
adj.
adv.
n. [countable]
con4 /kɑn/USA pronunciation adj., v., conned, con•ning, n.
adj.
v.
n. [countable]
con5 /kɑn/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
con-, prefix.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- against (a proposition, etc.):pro and con arguments.
adv.
- against:They argued pro and con all night.
n. [countable]
- the argument, position, or person arguing against something:The cons have it, 20 to 15.Compare pro1.
con4 /kɑn/USA pronunciation adj., v., conned, con•ning, n.
adj.
- Informal Termsinvolving dishonesty and trickery;
deceitful:swindled by a con artist.
v.
- Informal Termsto swindle;
trick: [~ + object + out of + object]The crooks conned her out of her life savings.[~ + object]She was conned quite smoothly. - Informal Termsto persuade by deception, threats, exaggeration, etc.: [~ + object]He conned her with a scary story about witches.[~ + object + into + object]conned me into going out with her.
n. [countable]
- Informal Termsa swindle:one of the oldest cons in the book.
- Informal Termsa lie, exaggeration, or self-serving talk.
con5 /kɑn/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
- Slang TermsInformal. a convict.
con-, prefix.
- con- is a variant spelling of com-. It comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "together, with.'' This meaning is found in such words as: condone, connection, convene.
con1
(kon),USA pronunciation adv.
n.
con2 (kon),USA pronunciation v.t., conned, con•ning.
con3 (kon),USA pronunciation v., conned, con•ning, n. [Naut.]
v.t.
n.
con4 (kon),USA pronunciation adj., v., conned, con•ning, n. [Informal.]
adj.
v.t.
n.
con5 (kon),USA pronunciation n. [Slang.]
con6 (kon),USA pronunciation v.t., conned, con•ning. [Brit. Dial.]
con-,
Con.,
- against a proposition, opinion, etc.:arguments pro and con.
n.
- the argument, position, arguer, or voter against something. Cf. pro1.
- short for Latin contrā in opposition, against 1575–85
con2 (kon),USA pronunciation v.t., conned, con•ning.
- to learn;
study;
peruse or examine carefully. - to commit to memory.
- Middle English cunnen, Old English cunnan variant of can1 in sense "become acquainted with, learn to know'' bef. 1000
con3 (kon),USA pronunciation v., conned, con•ning, n. [Naut.]
v.t.
- Nautical, Naval Termsto direct the steering of (a ship).
n.
- Nautical, Naval Terms, Buildingthe station of the person who cons.
- Nautical, Naval Termsthe act of conning.
- Latin condūcere to conduct
- Middle French cond(u)ire
- earlier cond, apocopated variant of Middle English condie, condue 1350–1400
con4 (kon),USA pronunciation adj., v., conned, con•ning, n. [Informal.]
adj.
- Informal Termsinvolving abuse of confidence:a con trick.
v.t.
- Informal Termsto swindle;
trick:That crook conned me out of all my savings. - Informal Termsto persuade by deception, cajolery, etc.
n.
- Informal Termsa confidence game or swindle.
- Informal Termsa lie, exaggeration, or glib self-serving talk:He had a dozen different cons for getting out of paying traffic tickets.
- by shortening of confidence 1895–1900, American.
con5 (kon),USA pronunciation n. [Slang.]
- Slang Termsa convict.
- by shortening 1715–25
con6 (kon),USA pronunciation v.t., conned, con•ning. [Brit. Dial.]
- to strike, hit, or rap (something or someone).
- to hammer (a nail or peg).
- to beat or thrash a person with the hands or a weapon.
- perh. akin to French cognée hatchet, cogner to knock in, drive (a nail) home 1890–95
con-,
- var. of com- before a consonant (except b, h, l, p, r) and, by assimilation, before n: convene;
condone;
connection.
- Latin
Con.,
- Conformist.
- Consul.
- Music and Danceconcerto.
- conclusion.
- connection.
- consolidated.
- consul.
- continued.
- against.
- Latin contrā
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
con /kɒn/ informal n
con /kɒn/ n (usually plural)
Compare pro1
See also pros and consEtymology: from Latin contrā against, opposed to
- an argument or vote against a proposal, motion, etc
Compare pro1
See also pros and consEtymology: from Latin contrā against, opposed to
con /kɒn/ n
- slang
short for convict
con, esp US conn /kɒn/ vb (cons, conns, conning, conned)
- (transitive) to direct the steering of (a vessel)
con /kɒn/ vb (cons, conning, conned)
- (transitive) archaic to study attentively or learn (esp in the phrase con by rote)
con /kɒn/ prep
- with
com-, prefix.
com., an abbreviation of:
- com- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "with, together with.'' This meaning is found in such words as: combine, commute, compare. For variants before other sounds, see co-, col-1, con-, cor-.
- MilitaryCommander.
- Commission.
- Commissioner.
- Committee.
- MilitaryCommodore.
com., an abbreviation of:
- comedy.
- commander.
- commerce.
- commercial.
- committee.
- common.
- commonly.
- communications.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
com-, con- prefix
- together; with; jointly: commingle
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
con- prefix
- a variant of com-
'con' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
artist
- brio
- chilli con carne
- com-
- comfort
- con amore
- con brio
- con man
- con moto
- con spirito
- con-
- condition
- confidence man
- congenial
- conn
- conning tower
- consanguinity
- consuetude
- conterminous
- contrail
- contraption
- conurbation
- dumbfound
- mascon
- neo-con
- pelican crossing
- pro
- pros and cons
- racon
- sordino
- abscond
- adjugate
- Albany Congress
- Alençon lace
- altered state of consciousness
- American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
- Andean condor
- Antarctic Continent
- Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer
- arroz con pollo
- Avogadro's number
- Bacon's Rebellion
- bad conduct discharge
- beauty contest
- Belgian Congo
- Boltzmann constant
- breach of contract
- Bretton Woods Conference
- café con leche
- California condor