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cialtrone

rogue, scoundrel

noun chal-TROH-neh Rare

Also means

bungler, good-for-nothing

Usage Note

Cialtrone describes a person who is dishonest, unreliable, and incompetent — a combination of rogue and bungler. It implies both moral laxity and practical uselessness. The feminine form is cialtrona, and the adjective cialtresco ('roguish') exists. It is informal but not technically vulgar, and is common in political commentary to dismiss someone as a fraudster.

Examples

"Quel politico è un cialtrone senza scrupoli."

Natural Translation

That politician is an unscrupulous rogue.

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