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Synonyms

con

1 American  
[kon] / kɒn /

adverb

  1. against a proposition, opinion, etc..

    arguments pro and con.

noun

  1. the argument, position, arguer, or voter against something.

    The pros of the library project are obvious, but we have to consider the cons as well.
con 2 American  
[kon] / kɒn /

verb (used with object)

conned, conning

  1. to swindle; trick.

    That crook conned me out of all my savings.

  2. to persuade by deception, cajolery, etc..

    Don't worry, I can always con my dad into letting me use his car.

noun

  1. a confidence game or swindle.

    By the time my uncle realized she was playing a con on him, she had already left town with his rare coin collection.

  2. a lie, exaggeration, or glib self-serving talk.

    He had a dozen different cons for getting out of paying traffic tickets.

adjective

  1. relating to or involving abuse of confidence.

    a slick con man;

    a con trick.
con 3 American  
[kon] / kɒn /

noun

Slang.

  1. a convict.

    Her brother's a con up in Elmira.
con 4 American  
[kon] / kɒn /

noun

Informal.

  1. a convention, especially one for fans of a particular type of popular culture.

    sci-fi, gaming, and anime cons.
con 5 American  
[kon] / kɒn /

verb (used with object)

conned, conning

  1. to learn; study; peruse or examine carefully.

    She's been conning her grandfather's medical diaries for months.

  2. to commit to memory.

    I have conned the state capitals in alphabetical order, from Albany to Trenton.
con 6 American  
[kon] / kɒn /
Or conn

verb (used with object)

conned, conning

  1. to direct the steering of (a ship).

    conning the freighter into port.

noun

  1. the station of the person who cons.

    You will assume the con, ensign.

  2. the act of conning.

    Storms from the northeast made for a difficult con.
con 7 American  
[kon] / kɒn /

verb (used with object)

British Dialect.
conned, conning

  1. to strike, hit, or rap (something or someone).

    We think he was conned with a cricket bat.

  2. to hammer (a nail or peg).

    Who knew conning tacks into the new carpet would take so long?

  3. to beat or thrash (a person) with the hands or a weapon.

    He conned the poor guy in the pub for no apparent reason.
con- 8 American  

  1. variant of com- before a consonant (exceptb, h, l, p, r ) and, by assimilation, before n: convene; condone; connection.

con. 9 American  

abbreviation

  1. concerto.

  2. conclusion.

  3. connection.

  4. consolidated.

  5. consul.

  6. continued.

  7. against.

Con. 10 American  

abbreviation

  1. Conformist.

  2. Consul.

con 1 British  
/ kɒn /

noun

    1. short for confidence trick

    2. ( as modifier )

      con man
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to swindle or defraud

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
con 2 British  
/ kɒn /

noun

  1. an argument or vote against a proposal, motion, etc

  2. a person who argues or votes against a proposal, motion, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
con 3 British  
/ kɒn /

verb

  1. (tr) to direct the steering of (a vessel)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the place where a person who cons a vessel is stationed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Con. 4 British  

abbreviation

  1. Conservative

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
con 5 British  
/ kɒn /

noun

  1. slang short for convict

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
con 6 British  
/ kɒn /

verb

  1. archaic (tr) to study attentively or learn (esp in the phrase con by rote )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
con 7 British  
/ kɒn /

preposition

  1. music with

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
con- 8 British  

prefix

  1. a variant of com-

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of con1

First recorded in 1575–85; short for Latin contrā “in opposition, against”

Origin of con2

An Americanism first recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening of confidence

Origin of con3

First recorded in 1715–25; by shortening

Origin of con4

First recorded in 1940–45; by shortening

Origin of con5

First recorded before 1000; Middle English cunnen, Old English cunnan, variant of can 1 in sense “become acquainted with, learn to know”

Origin of con6

First recorded in 1350–1400; earlier cond, apocopated variant of Middle English condie, condue, from Middle French cond(u)ire, from Latin condūcere “to conduct”

Origin of con7

First recorded in 1890–95; perhaps akin to French cognée “hatchet,” cogner “to knock in, drive (a nail) home”

Origin of con-8

From Latin

Origin of con.9

From the Latin word contrā

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Washington’s current focus on regional advancement has set the pros and cons into sharper relief.

From The Wall Street Journal

The pros in this scenario include lower monthly payments; the cons include a higher down payment.

From MarketWatch

Don’t miss: ‘Affordability is a con job for consumers’: 2025 was one hell of a year.

From MarketWatch

"We were tricked… this woman is a con artist and a liar," says Omar.

From BBC

What would be the pros and cons of having this as a “second home” and letting the son rent it?

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.