conned

American  

[kond] / kɒnd /

adjective

1. relating to, or being the victim of, a swindle, scam, or trick.

   Most of these schemes play off the conned person's greed and vice.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of con.

Etymology

Origin of conned

First recorded in 1975–80; con ² ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective; con ² ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb

Example Sentences

The second, Joan, a middle-aged heiress in Florida, was conned by Ken into believing that he was Jewish and a canny businessman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

"I thought Doreen Lawrence was being conned, so I phoned the Mail and I said 'this isn't true, I haven't given any statements'."

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

He invested in and then reputedly conned the 1980s rich-kids “Billionaire Boys Club” private-school students’ investment group.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

Describing the moment they realised they had been conned, Wendy said scammers had asked to come and see the couple on a Saturday to take a full statement.

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025

“I kind of conned you into believing you were falling in love with a healthy person,” he said.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green