chancer

American

[chan-ser, chahn-] / ˈtʃæn sər, ˈtʃɑn- /

noun

Chiefly British.

a person who takes many risks.

chancer British

/ ˈtʃɑːnsə /

noun

slang an unscrupulous or dishonest opportunist who is prepared to try any dubious scheme for making money or furthering his or her own ends

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of chancer

First recorded in 1880–85; chance + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mr. Powell radiates such manly American likability that it’s bizarrely out of character for him to play this ruthless schemer, even as an impish chancer.

From The Wall Street Journal

Far from being unique or “a heroic visionary,” Columbus was a typical merchant-seafarer of his time, combining the energies of a Genoese mercantile chancer with the drive of a man who wanted to get rich.

From The Wall Street Journal

He worked regularly in British television after that, including recurring roles on “Chancer,” “The House of Windsor” and other series in the 1990s.

From New York Times

Television work included dramas such as Chancer and Summer's Lease.

From BBC

Flitcroft was front and back page news, with headlines celebrating the plucky chancer who had conned the R&A.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023