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Svengali

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
Sven·ga·li  (svn-gäl, sfn-)
n. pl. Sven·ga·lis
A person who, with evil intent, tries to persuade another to do what is desired: "a crafty Svengali who lures talented people with grand promises yet gives them little lasting operational authority" (Chris Welles).
[After Svengali, the hypnotist villain in the novel Trilby by George du Maurier.]
Svengali [svɛnˈgɑːlɪ]
n
(Psychology) a person who controls another's mind, usually with sinister intentions
[after a character in George Du Maurier's novel Trilby (1894)]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.Svengali - someone (usually maleficent) who tries to persuade or force another person to do his bidding
persuader, inducer - someone who tries to persuade or induce or lead on
2.Svengali - the musician in a novel by George du Maurier who controls Trilby's singing hypnotically


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