fakir

noun

fa·​kir
1
\ fə-​ˈkir How to pronounce fakir (audio) , fä-​ , fa-​ ; ˈfā-​kər \
a
: a Muslim mendicant : dervish
b
: an itinerant Hindu ascetic or wonder-worker
2
ˈfā-kər How to pronounce fakir (audio) : impostor
especially : swindler

Examples of fakir in a Sentence

a traveling carnival that was run by fakirs preying on small-town rubes a fakir peddling patent medicines that were mostly liquor and sugar
Recent Examples on the Web Bankman-Fried has refined the persona of a dishevelled, savantlike techno-fakir. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022 To be fair, the new nationalists have done their best, explicitly and repeatedly, to distance their emerging movement from white nationalists, alt-right fakirs, strident isolationists, and other assorted cranks. John Hood, National Review, 28 Aug. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fakir.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Arabic faqīr, literally, poor man

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fakir was in 1609

Dictionary Entries Near fakir

Cite this Entry

“Fakir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fakir. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fakir

noun
fa·​kir fə-ˈki(ə)r How to pronounce fakir (audio) fä- How to pronounce fakir (audio)
fa-;
ˈfā-kər
1
: a Muslim beggar : dervish
2
: a wandering Hindu holy person who performs feats of magic
Etymology

from Arabic faqir, literally, "poor man"

More from Merriam-Webster on fakir

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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