What does ‘grifter’ mean? - The HinduUpdated - September 17, 2026 10:09 pm ISTFor representative purposes | Photo Credit: Getty ImagesWhat is the meaning of ‘grifter’? (S Geetha, Vishakhapatnam)The word ‘grift’ rhymes with ‘lift’, ‘sift’ and ‘gift’. Some of us in India became aware of this word when the media in the US and UK reported that the CEO of a well-known company referred to Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, as - ‘grifters’. This slang term is mostly used in informal context to show disapproval. When you refer to someone as being a ‘grifter’ what you are suggesting is that the individual, though charming, is not to be trusted, for he is a swindler. This clever individual will find a way to trick you out of your money without any threat of violence. Other terms used to refer to such an individual are: con artist, scammer, swindler, defrauder, etc. One of the theories about the word is that it is derived from ‘grafter’, meaning corrupt individual.The novel is about two grifters and their various scams.The charming grifter had the men in the town wrapped around her finger.How is the word impervious pronounced? What does it mean? (K Arvind, Bengaluru)The word consists of four syllables; the first is pronounced like the ‘im’ in ‘impossible’ and ‘important’. The following ‘er’ is like the ‘er’ in ‘stern’, ‘germ’ and ‘term’, while the ‘i’ sounds like the ‘i’ in ‘bit’, ‘hit’ and ‘sit’. The final ‘ou’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The word is pronounced ‘im-PER-vi-es’ with the stress on the second syllable. It comes from the Latin ‘impervius’ and it has been part of the English language since the mid 17th century. In Latin, ‘im’ means ‘not’ and ‘pervius’ means ‘passable’. The word ‘impervious’ literally means ‘not allowing anything to pass through’. An impervious surface, for example, is one that cannot be penetrated. During the monsoon season, some of us wear a raincoat because the material used to make the coat prevents water from seeping through; it is impervious to water. Similarly, we have material impervious to heat, while some are impervious to light. It is important to note that ‘impervious’ is usually followed by ‘to’ – one is always ‘impervious to’ something.The new vest that the soldiers are wearing is impervious to bullets.The tiles used on the space shuttle are impervious to extreme heat.The word ‘impervious’ can be used figuratively in everyday contexts as well. When you say that an individual is impervious to criticism, what you are suggesting is that he is not affected by it; he is not bothered or influenced by what you or others say. Criticism bounces off him very much like raindrops off a raincoat.Jain was impervious to my jokes. I just couldn’t make him laugh.Twenty years of marriage made him impervious to insults!Which is correct? ‘Log in to’ an account or ‘Log into’ an account? (M Sridhar, Pune)I don’t think it really matters nowadays – most people accept both. Native speakers of English seem to be happy with ‘log in to’ and ‘log into’. Purists, however, would argue that it should be ‘log in to’ and not ‘log into’ because according to them ‘log in’ is a phrasal verb.I couldn’t log in to my new account.Published - September 14, 2026 08:30 am ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }