English Meaning & Definitions
A person who deceives others, especially a flamboyant charlatan who sells fraudulent medicines in public places.
- “The 18th-century marketplace was often crowded with mountebanks promising cures for every imaginable ailment.”
- “Critics dismissed the populist leader as a mere mountebank who used rhetoric to mask his lack of actual policy.”
To trick or deceive others by using the methods of a charlatan; to act as a mountebank.
- “He attempted to mountebank his way into the high-society gala by pretending to be a foreign count.”
- “The swindler spent his life mountebanking unsuspecting tourists out of their savings.”
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “mountebank”.
Derived from the 16th-century Italian phrase 'monta in banco', which literally means 'mount on a bench'. This refers to the practice of itinerant quack doctors and entertainers who would climb onto a bench or a makeshift platform in public squares to attract a crowd and sell fraudulent medicines or 'miracle' cures.
Think of a person who 'mounts' a 'bank' (bench) to shout and trick people into buying fake goods.
Frequently Asked Questions About “mountebank”
1. What is the meaning of “mountebank” in English?
In English, mountebank (noun) is defined as: “A person who deceives others, especially a flamboyant charlatan who sells fraudulent medicines in public places.”.
2. How do you use “mountebank” in a sentence?
“The 18th-century marketplace was often crowded with mountebanks promising cures for every imaginable ailment.”
3. What are English synonyms of “mountebank”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “mountebank”?
Derived from the 16th-century Italian phrase 'monta in banco', which literally means 'mount on a bench'. This refers to the practice of itinerant quack doctors and entertainers who would climb onto a bench or a makeshift platform in public squares to attract a crowd and sell fraudulent medicines or 'miracle' cures.
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