loan shark

noun

: one who lends money to individuals at exorbitant rates of interest

Examples of loan shark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There, Li befriends Mia (Sadie Stanley) and her father, Victor (Joshua Jackson), who run a pizza joint and have run afoul of a loan shark, O’Shea (Tim Rozon), who also happens to run a mixed martial-arts gym. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025 The winner of the Hollywood sweepstakes is film buff and loan shark muscle Chili Palmer (John Travolta), who knows the difference between Rio Bravo (1959) and El Dorado (1966). Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025 Mickey 17: Plot, Cast, Run Time Directed by Bong Joon Ho (Parasite, Okja) and set in the near future, Mickey 17 follows Mickey Barnes, a down on his luck sad sack who escapes Earth after getting into trouble with a loan shark. Rudie Obias, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2025 Finally, the loan shark took it from Beom-jun and gave it to Jeong-min. Kayti Burt, Time, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for loan shark

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loan shark was in 1905

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Loan shark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loan%20shark. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

loan shark

noun
: a person who lends money at very high rates of interest
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!