Shill

Pronunciation: /ʃɪl/

Definitions of shill

noun a person who pretends to give an impartial endorsement of something in which they have an interest, typically for promotional purposes

Example Sentences

A1 The shill handed out flyers for the new restaurant.

A2 The company hired a shill to promote their latest product.

B1 The politician was accused of using shills to sway public opinion.

B2 The undercover journalist posed as a shill to expose the corruption.

C1 The shill's true identity was revealed during the investigation.

C2 The shill's testimony in court helped convict the criminal mastermind.

Examples of shill in a Sentence

formal The company hired a shill to promote their new product during the launch event.

informal I heard that guy is just a shill for that brand, he always talks about their products.

slang Don't trust that shill, he's just trying to sell you something you don't need.

figurative Her constant praise for the company made her seem like a shill for their agenda.

Grammatical Forms of shill

• past tense: shilled
• plural: shills
• comparative: more shill
• superlative: most shill
• present tense: shill
• future tense: will shill
• perfect tense: have shilled
• continuous tense: is shilling
• singular: shill
• positive degree: shill
• infinitive: to shill
• gerund: shilling
• participle: shilling

Origin and Evolution of shill

First Known Use: 1910 year

Language of Origin: American English

Story behind the word: The word 'shill' originated in the 1910s in American English.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of a person who pretends to be a satisfied customer or enthusiastic bystander to promote a product or cause, the term 'shill' has evolved to also refer to someone who acts as a decoy or accomplice in a confidence trick or scam.