Word
carney
Phoneticscar·ney
US/ˈkɑɹni/
UK/kˈɑːni/
Definition
n. a person who works at a traveling fair or carnival. You use this word to describe someone who moves from town to town setting up rides or games.
n. a person employed by a carnival or traveling fair, typically involved in operating rides, games, or sideshows. Often carries a connotation of a transient or outsider lifestyle.
Examples
“The carney showed us how to win the giant teddy bear.”
“After the fair closed for the night, the carneys gathered around a small fire to share stories of previous summers.”
“Growing up as a carney meant a life of constant motion, where the rhythm of the seasons was dictated by the opening and closing of county fairs across the Midwest.”
Examples
simple
“The carney showed us how to win the giant teddy bear.”
contextual
“After the fair closed for the night, the carneys gathered around a small fire to share stories of previous summers.”
complex
“Growing up as a carney meant a life of constant motion, where the rhythm of the seasons was dictated by the opening and closing of county fairs across the Midwest.”
Usage
Informal in register; sometimes used pejoratively to imply someone is untrustworthy or transient.