whipping boy

American  

noun

1. a person who is made to bear the blame for another's mistake; scapegoat.

2. (formerly) a boy educated along with and taking punishment in place of a young prince or nobleman.

---

whipping boy British  

noun

1. a person of little importance who is blamed for the errors, incompetence, etc, of others, esp his superiors; scapegoat

---

whipping boy Idioms  

1. A scapegoat, as in This department's always been the whipping boy when things don't go well. This expression alludes to the former practice of keeping a boy to be whipped in place of a prince who was to be punished. [Early 1900s]

---

Etymology

Origin of whipping boy

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whipping boy

Lawmakers refused to give up their whipping boy and ignored the committee’s recommendations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Toyota’s faith in democratizing hybrid technology turned the company, once an environmental darling, into a whipping boy as it was widely accused of foot-dragging over electric vehicles.

From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024

So over time, the kid from St. Louis — the one who grew up dreaming of playing for the Tigers — became the whipping boy of fans pining for their program to return to prominence.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 17, 2023

Greg, on the other hand, is a tool – frequently a whipping boy, sometimes a human shield, lately a corporate guillotine.

From Salon ● May 15, 2023

Jackie was no sycophant or whipping boy, as he’s been described by other writers.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• fall guy
• patsy
• scapegoat