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.

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whipping boy British  

noun

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

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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]

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Etymology

Origin of whipping boy

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

“In some ways, Yoo became the whipping boy for all the public’s anger at social and political elites,” Chun said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2025

The Wildlife Conservation Society, which would become an online whipping boy during the Flaco year, has noble origins.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2025

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

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 Washington Times • Sep. 17, 2023

He'd been dreaming happily of his ragged but carefree life before he'd been plucked from the streets and sewers of the city to serve as royal whipping boy.

From "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman

Related Words

• fall guy
• patsy
• scapegoat