# wolf of Wall Street

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/wolf-of-wall-street
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

(A name for) an aggressive, prominent, and wealthy financier; specifically (derogatory), one who swindles or takes unfair advantage of people.

## Examples

- He acts like a wolf of Wall Street with his aggressive sales tactics.
- She fears her brother is becoming a greedy wolf of Wall Street.
- Do you think every successful banker is secretly a wolf of Wall Street?
- The young trader became a total wolf of Wall Street, tricking clients just to earn a massive bonus.
- Local business owners worry that the new investor is a wolf of Wall Street who will strip the company of its assets and then leave.
- After losing his savings to a wolf of Wall Street, the retired teacher warned others to be careful about where they put their money.
- The documentary exposes how the firm's founder evolved into a notorious wolf of Wall Street, exploiting vulnerable investors to build his fraudulent empire.

## Origin

From wolf, in the sense of a rapacious or destructive person, and Wall Street, the metonym for American financial institutions. The construction follows the pattern of assigning a predatory animal to the geography of big-business interests.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.