patsy

noun

pat·​sy ˈpat-sē How to pronounce patsy (audio)
plural patsies
: a person who is easily manipulated or victimized : pushover

Examples of patsy in a Sentence

They treated us like a bunch of patsies. an Internet newbie who's the perfect patsy for a cyber scam
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Thinking he's found his imbecilic patsy, Mussburger names Norville the new president. Ars Technica, 31 Dec. 2024 The Minnesota Wild’s blip is officially a stumble as the slumping, skidding team once again was a patsy against the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Russo, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024 The reason the episode works so well is because Homer makes the perfect patsy, of sorts. Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024 Anyone familiar with this kind of setup knows that simple offers are inevitably anything but, and rarely turn out to be worth the money — that is, assuming the poor patsy ever sees the money. Catherine Bray, Variety, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for patsy 

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Italian pazzo fool

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of patsy was in 1899

Dictionary Entries Near patsy

Cite this Entry

“Patsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patsy. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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