Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 0 down vote favorite

Let's say we have a guy who is stupid and weak and everybody picks on him and mocks him all the time. What would we call this guy?

I found timid in the dictionary but I am looking for a colloquial word.

share|improve this question
1  
For shame! A guy who is “stupid and weak” deserves your pity, your help, and your compassion, not your derision and abuse — even if it is just verbal abuse, which all of the supplied solutions save mine definitely count as. – tchrist Dec 25 '12 at 18:54
'timid' is fearful. Though that may go along with our description it is not the defining feature of what you are asking for. – Mitch Dec 25 '12 at 19:06
1  
Fall guy = easy victim : boob, can-carrier, chopping block, chump, dupe, easy mark, easy touch, fool, goat, lamb to the slaughter, mark, patsy, pigeon, prize sap, sacrifice, sap, scapegoat, schlemiel, schmuck, sitting duck, soft touch, stooge, sucker, trusting soul, victim, whipping boy. – Bill Franke Dec 25 '12 at 23:51

5 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

I found all of these in a thesaurus, under the entry for weakling:

pushover, namby-pamby, coward, milksop; informal wimp, weed, sissy, twinkie, drip, softie, doormat, chicken, yellow-belly, scaredy-cat, wuss

Based on your question, I'd recommend pushover or doormat from that list. Others might work better if you want to emphasize the person's weakness, as opposed to their status as a perpetual victim.

Wuss might work well, too; NOAD defines it as a weak or ineffectual person (often used as a general term of abuse).

share|improve this answer
up vote 4 down vote

In the spirit of Christmas, I believe the right answer here is victim.

Other possibilities, arranged from short to long, include prey, mark, butt, gull, wretch, target, quarry, martyr, underdog, sufferer, innocent, scapegoat, sacrifice, and unfortunate.

share|improve this answer
I agree with your sentiments (and even used the word victim in my answer), but I think there are contexts where one might search for such a word without an intent to use it negatively. One example is when encouraging a victim of bullying to stand up for themselves, i.e.: "Don't be an [X]; stand up for yourself!" Another example might be exhorting someone to be brave or strong in a time of hardship, like a lineman during a football game, and you're not really calling someone's strength into quesiton. I had such contexts in mind when I recommended doormat or pushover. – J.R. Dec 25 '12 at 22:17
up vote 2 down vote

Perhaps fall guy, one who, in the OED’s definition, ‘is easily tricked, an easy victim; one who "takes the rap" for others, a scapegoat.’

share|improve this answer
up vote 2 down vote

Another more colloquial option would be to refer to him as your punching bag (something/someone that just stands there and takes your abuse anytime you care to dish it out).

share|improve this answer
up vote 0 down vote

Runt seems a potential choice.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.