Meanings
plural loan sharks · alternative loanshark
- Someone who lends money at exorbitant rates of interest, especially illegally.First known use 1900
Synonyms: shylock
present singular third person loan sharks · participle present loan sharking · participle past loan sharked · past loan sharked · alternative loanshark
- alternativeAlternative spelling of loanshark.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomeone who lends money at exorbitant rates of interest, especially illegally.
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomeone who lends money at excessive rates of interest
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Cantonese 大耳窿, 阿窿
- 大耳窿money lender; usurer
- 阿窿money lender; usurer
- 貴利 /贵利money lender; usurer
Chinese Mandarin 高利貸者 /高利贷者, 阿窿
- 高利貸者 /高利贷者 (gāolìdàizhě)money lender; usurer
- 阿窿 (ālóng)money lender; usurer
Danish lånehaj, ågerkarl
- lånehajmoney lender; usurer
- ågerkarlmoney lender; usurer
Dutch woekeraar
- woekeraarmoney lender; usurer
Finnish koronkiskuri, kiskuri
- koronkiskurimoney lender; usurer
- kiskurimoney lender; usurer
French usurier, usurière
- usuriermoney lender; usurer
- usurièremoney lender; usurer
German Kredithai, Wucherer
- Kredithaimoney lender; usurer
- Wucherermoney lender; usurer
- Wucherinmoney lender; usurer
Greek τοκογλύφος
- τοκογλύφος (tokoglýfos)money lender; usurer
Hungarian uzsorás
- uzsorásmoney lender; usurer
Indonesian rentenir, tengkulak
- rentenirmoney lender; usurer
- tengkulakmoney lender; usurer
- lintah daratmoney lender; usurer
Italian usuraio, usuraia
- usuraiomoney lender; usurer
- usuraiamoney lender; usurer
- strozzinomoney lender; usurer
- strozzinamoney lender; usurer
Japanese 高利貸し
- 高利貸し (kōrigashi)money lender; usurer
Korean 고리대금업자
- 고리대금업자 (goridaegeumeopja)money lender; usurer
Latin toculiō
- toculiōmoney lender; usurer
Norwegian Bokmål lånehai, ågerkar
- lånehaimoney lender; usurer
- ågerkarmoney lender; usurer
- ågerkarlmoney lender; usurer
Polish lichwiarz, lichwiarka
- lichwiarzmoney lender; usurer
- lichwiarkamoney lender; usurer
Portuguese agiota
- agiotamoney lender; usurer
Romanian cămătar
- cămătarmoney lender; usurer
Russian ростовщи́к, ростовщи́ца
- ростовщи́к (rostovščík)money lender; usurer
- ростовщи́ца (rostovščíca)money lender; usurer
Spanish usurero, usurera
- usureromoney lender; usurer
- usureramoney lender; usurer
Swedish lånehaj
- lånehajmoney lender; usurer
Turkish tefeci, faizci
- tefecimoney lender; usurer
- faizcimoney lender; usurer
Ukrainian позикова акула, кредитна акула
- позикова акула (pozykova akula)money lender; usurer
- кредитна акула (kredytna akula)money lender; usurer
Vietnamese người cho vay nặng lãi
- người cho vay nặng lãimoney lender; usurer
Cite this entry
loan shark. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loan%20shark
“loan shark.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loan%20shark. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “loan shark,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loan%20shark.
Source: loan shark on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.