shylock
Ruthless money lender
A shylock is a moneylender who charges exorbitant interest rates—a loan shark.
The term derives from the Jewish moneylender in Shakespeare's *The Merchant of Venice* and carries antisemitic overtones, implying greed and ruthlessness.
As a verb, to shylock is to lend money at usurious rates or to pursue a debtor aggressively: He shylocked his way through the neighborhood.
The word is offensive and should be used with awareness of its history. (Capitalized Shylock is the Shakespearean character.)
One providing loans
- usurerLender demanding excessive interest
- loan sharkIllegal high-interest moneylender
- extortionerOne who obtains through threats
- exploiterOne who uses unfairly
bloodsucker · profiteer · gouger · interest · loan · debt · creditor · lending
Prejudiced against Jewish people
- stereotypeFixed oversimplified notion
- caricatureExaggerated comic depiction
- pejorativeTerm expressing disapproval
- epithetDescriptive tag for someone
moneylender
One providing loans
- usurerLender demanding excessive interest
- loan sharkIllegal high-interest moneylender
- extortionerOne who obtains through threats
exploiter · bloodsucker · profiteer · gouger · interest · loan · debt · creditor · lending · borrower
antisemitic
Prejudiced against Jewish people
- stereotypeFixed oversimplified notion
- caricatureExaggerated comic depiction
- pejorativeTerm expressing disapproval
- loan sharksloan shark, vig, vigorish, juice, usury
- financial institutionsbanks, central bank, commercial banks, investment bank, investment banks
shylockbenefactor
One who gives aid
philanthropist · patron · angel investor · microlender · soft touch
shylockphilanthropist
Donor to charitable causes
altruist · benefactor · Robin Hood · Good Samaritan · humanitarian