cozen
Verb: 1. To cheat or trick someone, especially in a cunning or artful manner: To deceive someone for personal gain, often through clever manipulation or false promises. 2. To act with artful deceit: To behave in a deliberately deceptive way. 3. To be false to; to be dishonest with: To betray someone's trust through deception.
The verb "cozen" describes an act of deception that is typically subtle, persuasive, and involves gaining someone's confidence to exploit them. It is a formal or literary term.
- He cozened the money out of the old man by pretending to be a distant relative in need.
- The merchant was accused of cozening his customers by selling counterfeit goods as genuine.
- She realized she had been cozened into signing the contract under false pretenses.
- "to cozen someone out of something": This is a common construction meaning to trick someone into giving up something (e.g., money, property).
- The con artist specialized in cozening elderly people out of their life savings.
- "to cozen someone into doing something": This construction means to deceive or persuade someone, through trickery, to perform a specific action.
- They cozened him into investing in their fraudulent scheme.
- Cozenage (noun): The act or practice of cozening; fraud, deception.
- The elaborate cozenage was uncovered by the authorities.
- Deceive: To cause someone to believe something that is not true.
- Dupe: To deceive or trick an easily fooled person.
- Beguile: To charm or enchant someone, sometimes in a deceptive way.
- Swindle: To cheat someone out of money or property.
- Hoodwink: To deceive or trick someone.
(Note: "Cozen" itself is not typically used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is conveyed through the prepositions "out of" and "into" as shown in the Advanced Usage section.)
(Note: There are no common idioms that use the exact word "cozen." Its meaning is expressed in the constructions above.)
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cheat or trick
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He cozened the money out of the old man
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act with artful deceit
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be false to; be dishonest with
