confidence \con"fidence\, n. l. confidentia firm trust in,
   self-confidence: cf. f. confidence.
   1. the act of confiding, trusting, or putting faith in;
      trust; reliance; belief; -- formerly followed by of, now
      commonly by in.
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            society is built upon trust, and trust upon
            confidence of one another's integrity. --south.
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            a cheerful confidence in the mercy of god.
                                                  --macaulay.
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   2. that in which faith is put or reliance had.
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            the lord shall be thy confidence.     --prov. iii.
                                                  26.
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   3. the state of mind characterized by one's reliance on
      himself, or his circumstances; a feeling of
      self-sufficiency; such assurance as leads to a feeling of
      security; self-reliance; -- often with self prefixed.
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            your wisdom is consumed in confidence;
            do not go forth to-day.               --shak.
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            but confidence then bore thee on secure
            either to meet no danger, or to find
            matter of glorious trial.             --milton.
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   4. private conversation; pl. secrets shared; as, there were
      confidences between them.
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            sir, i desire some confidence with you. --shak.
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   confidence game, any swindling operation in which advantage
      is taken of the confidence reposed by the victim in the
      swindler; several swindlers often work together to create
      the illusion of truth; -- also called con game.

   confidence man, a swindler.

   to take into one's confidence, to admit to a knowledge of
      one's feelings, purposes, or affairs.

   syn: trust; assurance; expectation; hope.
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              i am confident that very much be done. --boyle.
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   2. trustful; without fear or suspicion; frank; unreserved.
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            be confident to speak, northumberland;
            we three are but thyself.             --shak.
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   3. having self-reliance; bold; undaunted.
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            as confident as is the falcon's flight
            against a bird, do i with mowbray fight. --shak.
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   4. having an excess of assurance; bold to a fault;
      dogmatical; impudent; presumptuous.
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            the fool rageth and is confident.     --prov. xiv.
                                                  16.
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   5. giving occasion for confidence. r.
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            the cause was more confident than the event was
            prosperous.                           --jer. taylor.
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see also:
confidence game con game confidence man to take into one's confidence 

confidence man
     n : a swindler who exploits the confidence of his victim syn: con
         man, con artist
see also:
con man con artist 

29 moby thesaurus words for "confidence man":
   bunco artist, bunco steerer, cardsharp, cardsharper, carpetbagger,
   con artist, con man, crimp, defrauder, diddler, gyp, horse coper,
   horse trader, jackleg, land pirate, land shark, land-grabber,
   mortgage shark, pettifogger, pitchman, shark, sharp, sharper,
   sharpie, shortchanger, shyster, slicker, spieler, trickster