Meaning
loan shark
- A predatory moneylender charging exorbitant interest rates.
In a sentence
Disperato per i debiti, si è rivolto a uno strozzino.
Desperate over debts, he turned to a loan shark.
Non chiedere mai soldi a uno strozzino: le conseguenze sono terribili.
Never borrow money from a loan shark; the consequences are terrible.
La polizia ha arrestato una banda di strozzini attiva in centro.
Police arrested a gang of loan sharks active downtown.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| strozzino | masculine · singular |
| strozzini | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Informal: common in everyday speech. The formal or legal equivalent is 'usuraio'.
- Literally related to 'strozzare' (to strangle), evoking someone who financially suffocates debtors.