patsy

¹

[pat-see]

noun

Slang.

plural

patsies 

1. a person who is easily swindled, deceived, coerced, persuaded, etc.; sucker.

2. a person upon whom the blame for something falls; scapegoat; fall guy.

3. a person who is the object of a joke, ridicule, or the like.

Patsy

²

[pat-see]

noun

1. a male given name, form of Patrick.

2. a female given name, form of Patricia.

patsy

/ ˈpætsɪ /

noun

1. a person who is easily cheated, victimized, etc

2. a scapegoat

Word History and Origins

Origin of patsy¹

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of patsy¹

C20: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Hoover would see Patel, correctly enough, as a buffoon and a patsy who was bending the FBI’s awesome machinery to the service of a mercurial president’s incoherent personal agenda.

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He said crackpot theories have found oxygen in historical amnesia: “If there’s no motive, they can promote their idea that he was just an innocent patsy.”

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And I don’t see the party as playing the patsy, either.

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Granted, this first game was against the tanking Jazz, the same franchise that played patsy to Bryant’s 60 points nine years ago.

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I think someone whispered in Trump’s ear that Putin thinks he’s a patsy, that Putin’s grand expectation is that Trump will cave to whatever he wants without protest because they’re bro-ligarchs-in-arms, or something like that.

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Related Words

• doormat 
• sitting duck