different between swindle vs hoax

English

Etymology

Back-formation from swindler, from German Schwindler, from German schwindeln, from Middle High German swindeln, swindelen, from Old High German swintiln, frequentative of the verb swintan; compare Modern German schwindeln, Danish svindel and svindle, Dutch zwindelen and zwendelen, Yiddish ???????? (shvindl), Low German swinneln, Middle English swinden (“to languish, waste away”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sw?nd(?)l/
• Rhymes: -?nd?l

Verb

swindle (third-person singular simple present swindles, present participle swindling, simple past and past participle swindled)

1. (transitive) To defraud.

   The two men swindled the company out of $160,000.

2. (transitive, intransitive) To obtain (money or property) by fraudulent or deceitful methods.

   She swindled more than £200 out of me.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:deceive
• (to be swindled): be sold a pup (idiomatic, British, Australian)
• (to defraud): swizz (informal, mainly British)

Translations

Noun

swindle (plural swindles)

1. An instance of swindling.
2. Anything that is deceptively not what it appears to be.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:deception
• scheme
• swizz (informal, mainly British)

Translations

Anagrams

• Windles, wildens, windles

English

Etymology

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Reportedly a form of hocus. Possibly from hocus-pocus or Latin iocus (“joke”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /h??ks/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ho?ks/
• Rhymes: -??ks
• Homophone: hokes

Verb

hoax (third-person singular simple present hoaxes, present participle hoaxing, simple past and past participle hoaxed)

1. (transitive) To deceive (someone) by making them believe something that has been maliciously or mischievously fabricated.

Derived terms

• hoaxer
• hoaxster (rare)

Translations

Noun

hoax (plural hoaxes)

1. Anything deliberately intended to deceive or trick.

Synonyms

• (deliberately false story or report): canard

Derived terms

• (deliberately false story or report): hoaxical, Hoaxocaust

Translations