A whipping boy Meaning in English
expression · lemma: whipping boy
释义
A person who is unfairly blamed or punished for the mistakes or problems caused by others.
用法与细微差别
Mainly idiomatic, used in both formal and informal contexts to mean 'scapegoat'. Common with 'be made the whipping boy', 'serve as a whipping boy'. Not gender-specific today. Do not use literally; it's figurative.
例句
He was made a whipping boy for the team's failure.
basic
Sometimes, the youngest sibling is treated as a whipping boy at home.
basic
She didn’t want to be a whipping boy for her boss’s mistakes.
basic
Whenever something goes wrong, Mark ends up as the whipping boy.
natural
Don’t let yourself be a whipping boy in the office—stand up for yourself.
natural
The public often looks for a whipping boy when things go bad, even if it’s not fair.
natural