A ruthless moneylender; an unscrupulous person who lends money at unfair interest rates (often considered an offensive stereotype).
From Shakespeare's character Shylock in 'The Merchant of Venice' (1596), a Jewish moneylender. Shakespeare created the character, and the name became associated with greedy lending practices. The term is now widely considered offensive due to its origins in anti-Semitic stereotypes.
Shakespeare's Shylock is actually a complex character demanding 'a pound of flesh' as revenge for being humiliated—but centuries of people ignoring his humanity turned the name into a slur, showing how literature can accidentally cement prejudices.
A male character from Shakespeare whose name became slur for Jewish moneylenders; antisemitic stereotyping conflates Jewishness with greed and usury. Women were excluded from lending roles by law, making this slur gendered through institutional exclusion.
Avoid using as a dehumanizing term. Use 'loan shark' or 'predatory lender' for the behavior, not a character name with prejudicial history.
["predatory lender","loan shark","usurer"]
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