"shyster" meaning in English

See shyster in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈʃaɪs.tə(ɹ)/ [UK], /ˈʃaɪs.tɚ/ [US] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-shyster.wav Forms: shysters [plural]
Etymology: US origin, 19th century. The etymology of the word is not generally agreed upon. The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as "of obscure origin," possibly deriving from a historical sense of shy meaning "disreputable", equivalent to shy + -ster. Other sources suggest the word derives from the German Scheißer (“incompetent worthless person”), from scheißen (“to defecate”), probably influenced by -ster. Not related to shylock. Etymology templates: {{af|en|shy|-ster}} shy + -ster, {{der|en|de|Scheißer||incompetent worthless person}} German Scheißer (“incompetent worthless person”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} shyster (plural shysters)
  1. Someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics. Categories (topical): People Synonyms: pettifogger Derived forms: sheisty, shysterism Translations (someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way): мошеник (mošenik) [masculine] (Bulgarian), шарлатанин (šarlatanin) [masculine] (Bulgarian), avocaillon [masculine] (French), chicaneur [masculine] (French), avogado das silveiras [masculine] (Galician), Gauner [masculine] (German), Rechtsverdreher [masculine] (German), Winkeladvokat [masculine] (German), δικολάβος (dikolávos) [masculine] (Greek), мерзавец (merzavec) [masculine] (Russian), мерзавка (merzavka) [feminine] (Russian), brännvinsadvokat (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-shyster-en-noun-NaNdFqum Disambiguation of People: 99 0 1
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: schister, scheister, sheister, schyster, shister, shaista, shiester, schiester

Verb

IPA: /ˈʃaɪs.tə(ɹ)/ [UK], /ˈʃaɪs.tɚ/ [US] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-shyster.wav Forms: shysters [present, singular, third-person], shystering [participle, present], shystered [participle, past], shystered [past]
Etymology: US origin, 19th century. The etymology of the word is not generally agreed upon. The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as "of obscure origin," possibly deriving from a historical sense of shy meaning "disreputable", equivalent to shy + -ster. Other sources suggest the word derives from the German Scheißer (“incompetent worthless person”), from scheißen (“to defecate”), probably influenced by -ster. Not related to shylock. Etymology templates: {{af|en|shy|-ster}} shy + -ster, {{der|en|de|Scheißer||incompetent worthless person}} German Scheißer (“incompetent worthless person”) Head templates: {{en-verb}} shyster (third-person singular simple present shysters, present participle shystering, simple past and past participle shystered)
  1. (intransitive) To act in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics. Tags: intransitive
    Sense id: en-shyster-en-verb-iEQjJqBG
  2. (transitive) To exploit (someone or something) in this way. Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-shyster-en-verb-rEX7sLy1 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ster, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Galician translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 35 16 49 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ster: 26 22 53 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 24 20 56 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 34 19 46 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 28 11 60 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 31 17 52 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 17 18 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Galician translations: 30 16 54 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 20 16 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 15 15 70 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 17 13 70 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 30 16 55
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: schister, scheister, sheister, schyster, shister, shaista, shiester, schiester

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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          "ref": "1922, Sinclair Lewis, chapter 4, in Babbitt, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company, →OCLC:",
          "text": "True, it was a good advertisement at Boosters' Club lunches, and all the varieties of Annual Banquets to which Good Fellows were invited, to speak sonorously of […] a thing called Ethics, whose nature was confusing but if you had it you were a High-class Realtor and if you hadn't you were a shyster, a piker, and a fly-by-night.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1973, Lucas Webb, Stribling, page 188:",
          "text": "The network canceled—nonco-operation their legal shysters said. Suing me, for, for ten million clams, damages to sponsors, agencies. Internal Revenue-Uncle Whiskers says I owe them a mint.",
          "type": "quote"
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          "text": "I could sue you, Polly. A shyster is a disreputable lawyer. I'm a quack.",
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          "politics"
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          "word": "pettifogger"
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          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "mošenik",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мошеник"
        },
        {
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "šarlatanin",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
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        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
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          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "avocaillon"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "chicaneur"
        },
        {
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "avogado das silveiras"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Gauner"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Rechtsverdreher"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Winkeladvokat"
        },
        {
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "dikolávos",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "δικολάβος"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "merzavec",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мерзавец"
        },
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          "roman": "merzavka",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "мерзавка"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
          "word": "brännvinsadvokat"
        }
      ]
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "schister"
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "scheister"
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      "word": "sheister"
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      "word": "schyster"
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      "word": "shister"
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "shaista"
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "shiester"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "schiester"
    }
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  "word": "shyster"
}

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        "5": "incompetent worthless person"
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        "To act in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics."
      ],
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        "(intransitive) To act in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics."
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          "kind": "other",
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To exploit (someone or something) in this way."
      ],
      "id": "en-shyster-en-verb-rEX7sLy1",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To exploit (someone or something) in this way."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
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  "sounds": [
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      "ipa": "/ˈʃaɪs.tə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "schister"
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      "word": "scheister"
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "shister"
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "shaista"
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
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    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "schiester"
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    "English terms derived from German",
    "English terms suffixed with -ster",
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    "Terms with French translations",
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    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
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      "word": "sheisty"
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
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          "ref": "1922, Sinclair Lewis, chapter 4, in Babbitt, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company, →OCLC:",
          "text": "True, it was a good advertisement at Boosters' Club lunches, and all the varieties of Annual Banquets to which Good Fellows were invited, to speak sonorously of […] a thing called Ethics, whose nature was confusing but if you had it you were a High-class Realtor and if you hadn't you were a shyster, a piker, and a fly-by-night.",
          "type": "quote"
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        {
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          "text": "The network canceled—nonco-operation their legal shysters said. Suing me, for, for ten million clams, damages to sponsors, agencies. Internal Revenue-Uncle Whiskers says I owe them a mint.",
          "type": "quote"
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        {
          "ref": "1981, Blake Edwards, S.O.B. (motion picture), spoken by Dr. Irving Finegarten (Robert Preston):",
          "text": "I could sue you, Polly. A shyster is a disreputable lawyer. I'm a quack.",
          "type": "quote"
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics."
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      "links": [
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          "disreputable",
          "disreputable"
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        [
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          "unethical"
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          "unscrupulous"
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        [
          "law",
          "law"
        ],
        [
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          "politics"
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      "synonyms": [
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          "word": "pettifogger"
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  "sounds": [
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      "ipa": "/ˈʃaɪs.tə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
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  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "schister"
    },
    {
      "word": "scheister"
    },
    {
      "word": "sheister"
    },
    {
      "word": "schyster"
    },
    {
      "word": "shister"
    },
    {
      "word": "shaista"
    },
    {
      "word": "shiester"
    },
    {
      "word": "schiester"
    }
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "mošenik",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мошеник"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "šarlatanin",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "шарлатанин"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "avocaillon"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "chicaneur"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "avogado das silveiras"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Gauner"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Rechtsverdreher"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Winkeladvokat"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "dikolávos",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "δικολάβος"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "merzavec",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мерзавец"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "merzavka",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "мерзавка"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way",
      "word": "brännvinsadvokat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "shyster"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from German",
    "English terms suffixed with -ster",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Galician translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "shy",
        "3": "-ster"
      },
      "expansion": "shy + -ster",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "Scheißer",
        "4": "",
        "5": "incompetent worthless person"
      },
      "expansion": "German Scheißer (“incompetent worthless person”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "US origin, 19th century. The etymology of the word is not generally agreed upon. The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as \"of obscure origin,\" possibly deriving from a historical sense of shy meaning \"disreputable\", equivalent to shy + -ster. Other sources suggest the word derives from the German Scheißer (“incompetent worthless person”), from scheißen (“to defecate”), probably influenced by -ster. Not related to shylock.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "shysters",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shystering",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shystered",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shystered",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "shyster (third-person singular simple present shysters, present participle shystering, simple past and past participle shystered)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To act in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To act in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To exploit (someone or something) in this way."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To exploit (someone or something) in this way."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʃaɪs.tə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-shyster.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f5/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-shyster.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-shyster.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f5/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-shyster.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-shyster.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʃaɪs.tɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "schister"
    },
    {
      "word": "scheister"
    },
    {
      "word": "sheister"
    },
    {
      "word": "schyster"
    },
    {
      "word": "shister"
    },
    {
      "word": "shaista"
    },
    {
      "word": "shiester"
    },
    {
      "word": "schiester"
    }
  ],
  "word": "shyster"
}

Download raw JSONL data for shyster meaning in English (8.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.