stooge

[stooj]

noun

1. any underling, assistant, or accomplice.

2. an entertainer who feeds lines to the main comedian and usually serves as the butt of the jokes.

verb (used without object)

stooged, stooging 

1. to act as an underling, assistant, or accomplice.

stooge

/ stuːdʒ /

noun

1. an actor who feeds lines to a comedian or acts as his foil or butt

2. slang,  someone who is taken advantage of by another

verb

1. slang,  to act as a stooge

2. slang,  (esp in the RAF) to fly or move about aimlessly

Word History and Origins

Origin of stooge¹

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of stooge¹

C20: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

History textbooks portraying the West as Russia’s enemy and Ukraine as its stooge will soon be rolled out for the youngest grades, the government says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

None of the so-called opinions Kirk expressed in his campus appearances and social media moments and “debate me, bro” exchanges with liberal stooges were remotely original or especially interesting.

Read more on Salon

He pushes back, telling me the Scottish working classes "still have a radical kind of spirit. They're not really there to be the stooge of some public school idiot".

Read more on BBC

However, if Stephen Miller’s stooges are going after Mark Walter, I can only have new respect for him.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

One of the smart tweaks Bong has made to Ashton’s book is devolving the character from an everyman into a passive stooge.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fall guy 
• lackey 
• pawn 
• puppet