patsy
1 Americannoun
plural
patsies-
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.
noun
-
a person who is easily cheated, victimized, etc
-
a scapegoat
Etymology
Origin of patsy
An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; origin uncertain
Explanation
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!
Vocabulary lists containing patsy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Three days later, he recanted that confession and spent the rest of his life professing his innocence, claiming that he was made a patsy for the real assassin, a man he called “Raoul.”
From Slate • Dec. 1, 2025
And I don’t see the party as playing the patsy, either.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2025
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
I will not be a patsy for that.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2023
Regibald du Burgh announced, “I accept the challenge of the once-archivist Werfel, traitor to his own people, elf-friend, patsy for the enemy.”
From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
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.
