a person who is easily swindled, deceived, coerced, persuaded, etc.; sucker.
a person upon whom the blame for something falls; scapegoat; fall guy.
a person who is the object of a joke, ridicule, or the like.
a person who is easily cheated, victimized, etc
a scapegoat
An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; origin uncertain
A patsy is a push-over, someone who can be easily manipulated by others. If your friend has convinced you that you should do all of his laundry out of the goodness of your heart, guess what? You're a patsy. Patsy has its roots in 19th-century American slang, and it still has a slangy air to it. It may have started out as a character in an old vaudeville act named Patsy, who always got the blame when things went wrong. From there a patsy came to mean an easy target, someone who can be suckered into doing the bidding of more strong-willed people. If you show some backbone and assert yourself, you won't get the patsy treatment!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As Warren Buffett wrote, “If you’ve been playing poker for half an hour and you still don’t know who the patsy is, you’re the patsy.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
That’s the one in which Arthur’s trusted patsy, Patsy, slaps coconut halves together so the deluded king can pretend he has a horse.
From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2023
After all, she played the role of the getaway driver when he fled the process server last year, so clearly she's got a history of being a willing patsy for her husband's shady behavior.
From Salon • Sep. 7, 2023
Many journalists have anointed him both—a destroyer of worlds but also a deal-maker, a patsy but also a conquering hero.
From Slate • Jun. 3, 2023
Had Henry intended to make me the patsy if his plan had fallen through?
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
