Definition of SHYSTER

shyster

Plural: shysters

Noun

  • A dishonest or unscrupulous professional, especially a lawyer.
  • a person (especially a lawyer or politician) who uses unscrupulous or unethical methods
  • Someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics.

Verb

  • To act in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics.
  • To exploit (someone or something) in this way.

Examples

  • Claiming a word that isn’t valid is a shyster move, always resulting in a challenge.

Origin / 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.

Synonyms

pettifogger

Scrabble Score: 13

shyster: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
shyster: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
shyster: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

shyster: valid Words With Friends Word