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.
In late 2024, housekeeping supervisors Patsy and Elsy, who are referred to in the first lawsuit against Jenner as well, by their first names only, stepped into their leadership roles.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Soto alleges that under Patsy and Elsy, she was denied adequate time off to grieve after the sudden death of her brother, and was told to “report to work immediately.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Mr Brady, who was known as Patsy, was from the Barnmeen area.
From BBC • Dec. 21, 2025
This sentimental and self-indulgent social-dance affair to musical selections from Antonín Dvořák, Patsy Cline, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Donna Summer goes nowhere, repeatedly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025
And the man with the coconuts was my trusty manservant, Patsy, as played by Terry Gilliam.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
