Meanings
plural schnooks · alternative shnook
- slangA person who is easily taken advantage of.
He’s just a schnook. She’s obviously using him but he keeps coming back for more abuse.
2 more examples
The Apartment. Producer-Director Billy Wilder tells of a sweet-natured schnook (brilliantly played by Jack Lemmon) who shoots up the corporate ladder.
1960 July 4, “Time listings”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Apr 2013But the top goon's one-panel reform described by Robin on the last page was absolutely cringeworthy … especially since the author had so successfully built up his image as a first-rate shnook.
1967 November, Guy Lillian, “Letters to the Batcave”, in Batman, number 196, Sparta, Ill.: National Periodical Publications, →OCLC, column 2
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(Yiddish) a gullible simpleton more to be pitied than despised
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Yiddishשנוק
- Yiddishשנוק
- Englishschnook
Borrowed from Yiddish שנוק (shnuk, “person easily imposed upon or cheated”).
More words from Yiddish
Full word history & related roots →Translations
German Depp, Schwachkopf
- Deppperson who is easily taken advantage of
- Schwachkopfperson who is easily taken advantage of
- Trottelperson who is easily taken advantage of
Portuguese trouxa
- trouxaperson who is easily taken advantage of
Russian лопух, лох
- лопух (lopux)person who is easily taken advantage of
- лох (lox)person who is easily taken advantage of
- простофиля (prostofilja)person who is easily taken advantage of
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with schnook
Cite this entry
schnook. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/schnook
“schnook.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/schnook. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “schnook,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/schnook.
Source: schnook on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.