Explanation at your level:
A con is a bad thing about a choice. If you want to buy a car, you look at the good things (pros) and the bad things (cons). It is also a trick to take money.
You use con when you talk about negatives. 'The con of living in the city is the noise.' It also means to trick someone. 'Don't let him con you!'
In English, pros and cons is a very common phrase for weighing decisions. As a verb, 'to con' means to deceive someone, often for money. It is informal but widely understood in daily conversation.
The term con serves as a shorthand for 'confidence trick.' It implies a manipulation of trust. In academic settings, it remains strictly limited to the 'pros and cons' structure, while the criminal usage is relegated to colloquial speech.
The etymological split between contra (against) and confidence (trust) creates an interesting linguistic tension. While 'con' as a disadvantage is neutral and analytical, 'con' as a scam carries a heavy moral weight of betrayal and social deviance.
Historically, the evolution of 'con' from the Latin contra to the 19th-century underworld slang of 'confidence man' illustrates how language adapts to social needs. It is a quintessential example of how a word can simultaneously exist as a formal logical marker and a gritty, informal criminal descriptor.
30초 단어
- Means disadvantage
- Means a trick
- Used in pros and cons
- Informal for scam
The word con is a fascinating multi-purpose term in English. Most commonly, you will encounter it in the phrase pros and cons, where it represents the negative side of an argument or a disadvantage of a choice.
Beyond that, it functions as a noun or verb related to deception. When someone is a 'con artist,' they are using a 'con' (a confidence trick) to steal money or information. It is a word that carries a sense of caution and skepticism.
The word has two distinct roots. The 'disadvantage' meaning comes from the Latin contra, meaning 'against.' This is the same root found in 'contradict' or 'contrary.'
The 'trick' meaning is a shortened version of confidence trick. In the 19th century, criminals would gain a victim's confidence before swindling them, leading to the term 'confidence man,' which eventually became the shorter, punchier 'con man.'
You will use 'con' most frequently in formal debate or casual decision-making when weighing options. For example, 'What are the pros and cons of moving to a new city?'
In a criminal context, it is strictly informal or slang. You would not use it in a formal police report; you would use 'fraud' or 'swindle' instead. Always be mindful of the register when choosing this word.
1. Pros and cons: The advantages and disadvantages. We listed the pros and cons of the new job offer.
2. Con artist: A person who cheats others. He was a smooth-talking con artist.
3. Pull a con: To perform a trick. They tried to pull a con on the tourists.
4. Con someone out of something: To steal by trickery. She conned him out of his life savings.
5. The big con: A major, elaborate scam. The movie is about the biggest con in history.
As a noun, 'con' is countable and takes the plural cons. As a verb, it follows regular conjugation: cons, conned, conning.
The IPA is /kɒn/ in British English and /kɑːn/ in American English. It rhymes with 'on,' 'gone,' and 'dawn.' Ensure you do not confuse it with 'cone,' which has a long 'o' sound.
Fun Fact
The 'con' in pros and cons is unrelated to the 'con' in con artist.
Pronunciation Guide
Short 'o' sound like in 'hot'.
Open 'ah' sound like in 'father'.
Common Errors
- Mixing with 'cone'
- Adding an extra syllable
- Misplacing stress
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
easy
easy
easy
easy
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
고급
Grammar to Know
Pluralization
con -> cons
Collocations
pros and cons
Examples by Level
What is a con?
What is a negative?
Noun
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
The con is the price.
He tried to con me.
List the pros and cons.
Is this a con?
It is a big con.
Don't be a con artist.
We saw the cons.
The plan has a con.
The main con is the distance.
He was conned out of cash.
Weigh the pros and cons.
That sounds like a con.
They conned the old man.
What are the cons?
It is a clever con.
Avoid the con.
The proposal has several cons.
He is a notorious con artist.
Don't let them con you into it.
The pros outweigh the cons.
It was an elaborate con.
She saw through the con.
He was arrested for a con.
Consider the potential cons.
The inherent cons of the policy are clear.
He was a victim of a sophisticated con.
The con artist vanished into thin air.
We must evaluate the pros and cons meticulously.
The scheme was nothing but a con.
She felt conned by the fine print.
The debate focused on the cons.
He is known for pulling a con.
The philosophical cons of his argument were ignored.
The con was executed with surgical precision.
He was a master of the confidence con.
One must distinguish between a genuine error and a con.
The pros and cons were debated at length.
His reputation was ruined by the con.
The con game is as old as time.
She was wary of any potential con.
자주 쓰는 조합
Idioms & Expressions
"pros and cons"
advantages and disadvantages
We weighed the pros and cons.
neutral"con artist"
a swindler
Beware of the con artist.
informal"pull a con"
to trick someone
They pulled a con on us.
informal"the big con"
a large scam
He planned the big con.
informal"con man"
a male swindler
He is a classic con man.
informal"fall for the con"
to be deceived
Don't fall for the con.
informalEasily Confused
similar sound
cone is a shape, con is a trick
I ate an ice cream cone.
similar spelling
coin is money, con is a trick
I have a silver coin.
Sentence Patterns
The con of X is Y
The con of the plan is the cost.
Pros and cons of X
What are the pros and cons of this?
He conned me into X
He conned me into buying it.
It was a total con
The whole thing was a total con.
He is a con artist
Don't trust him, he is a con artist.
어휘 가족
Nouns
Verbs
관련
How to Use It
7
Formality Scale
자주 하는 실수
'Con' is too informal for legal or professional documents.
'Con' is short, 'cone' is long.
'Con' is slang.
It is a fixed phrase.
It has two distinct meanings.
Tips
Memory Palace
Imagine a scale with 'pros' on one side and 'cons' on the other.
Native Speakers
They use it constantly for decision making.
Cultural Insight
It is a staple of American crime movies.
Grammar Shortcut
Always keep 'pros and cons' together.
Say It Right
Keep the 'o' short.
Don't Make This Mistake
Do not use it in legal writing.
Did You Know?
The word has two different Latin roots.
Study Smart
Learn it alongside 'pro'.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
CON-tra = CON-against.
Visual Association
A scale with 'pros' on one side and 'cons' on the other.
Word Web
챌린지
Write a list of pros and cons for learning English.
어원
Latin and English
Original meaning: Against (contra) and Confidence (trust)
문화적 맥락
None, but 'con' can also mean 'convict' in some US slang.
Commonly used in everyday debates and news reports about scams.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
at work
- pros and cons
- major con
- weigh options
travel
- tourist con
- be careful
- watch out
school
- debate
- arguments
- pros and cons
daily life
- scam
- trick
- conned
Conversation Starters
"What are the pros and cons of living in a big city?"
"Have you ever been conned?"
"What is the biggest con you have ever heard of?"
"Do you prefer to weigh the pros and cons before deciding?"
"Is a con artist a clever person?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you had to weigh the pros and cons of a decision.
Describe a situation where someone tried to trick you.
Why do people fall for cons?
Is it ever okay to use a con?
자주 묻는 질문
8 질문It is not a swear word, but it is informal when used to mean a scam.
Yes, in US slang, 'con' is short for convict.
It comes from the Latin 'contra' meaning against.
Only in the phrase 'pros and cons' to describe arguments.
No, they are different words with different meanings.
Just add 's' to make 'cons'.
Someone who makes a living by tricking people.
Yes, very common in everyday English.
셀프 테스트
What are the pros and ___ of this plan?
It is the fixed phrase.
What does 'con' mean in a scam?
A con is a deception.
A con is always a good thing.
It is a disadvantage or a trick.
Word
뜻
These are opposites.
Correct structure.
점수: /5
Summary
A con can be a negative point in a debate or a sneaky trick to steal from someone.
- Means disadvantage
- Means a trick
- Used in pros and cons
- Informal for scam
Memory Palace
Imagine a scale with 'pros' on one side and 'cons' on the other.
Native Speakers
They use it constantly for decision making.
Cultural Insight
It is a staple of American crime movies.
Grammar Shortcut
Always keep 'pros and cons' together.
