victimize

verb

vic·​tim·​ize ˈvik-tə-ˌmīz 

victimized; victimizing

transitive verb

1

: to make a victim of

2

: to subject to deception or fraud : cheat

victimization

ˌvik-tə-mə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

victimizer

ˈvik-tə-ˌmī-zər 

noun

Synonyms

• beat
• bilk
• bleed
• cheat
• chisel
• chouse
• con
• cozen
• defraud
• diddle
• do
• do in
• euchre
• fiddle
• fleece
• flimflam
• gaff
• hose [slang]
• hustle
• mulct
• nobble [British slang]
• pluck
• ream
• rip off
• rook
• screw
• shake down
• short
• shortchange
• skin
• skunk
• squeeze
• stick
• stiff
• sting
• sucker
• swindle
• thimblerig

Examples of victimize in a Sentence

They were victimized because of their religion.

victimized by a confidence man with a slick story

Recent Examples on the Web

So with a tremendous level of satisfaction for the characters and the audience, he was brutally killed the way so many women who had been victimized were killed in Gilead before [at the end of season four]. —Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025

Wilson’s accuracy has been far too erratic (57% completion percentage in his career), but he has been victimized by circumstances, too. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 May 2025

There’s no perfect response to being victimized, which is why characters like Flamingo and her guardian Boa (Paula Dinamarca), the commune’s rankled matriarch, end up with such wildly divergent stories. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 May 2025

By Sunday, the Bulldogs’ pitchers had been victimized enough and walked Daniels three times after his first inning line-out. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

victimize

verb

vic·​tim·​ize ˈvik-tə-ˌmīz 

victimized; victimizing

: to make a victim of especially by cheating