stooge

/studʒ/

/studʒ/

Other forms: stooges; stooging; stooged

A person who's fooled into doing all the hard or dirty work for someone else is a stooge. If you're the butt of someone's mean jokes, you're also a stooge.

A slapstick comedian's sidekick — the one who gets a pie in his face or is hit in the head with a board — is a stooge. Now you know how the Three Stooges got their name! The word started out meaning "actor who assists a comedian," possibly derived from student, but it has evolved to be fairly derogatory. In crime, a stooge works for the mastermind: "She'll be arrested for selling the candy he stole, but she's just a stooge."

Definitions of stooge

1. noun

   a victim of ridicule or pranks
   synonyms: butt, goat, laughingstock

   types:

   April fool

   the butt of a prank played on April 1st

   type of:

   dupe, pigeon, victim

   a person who is easily tricked or swindled
2. noun

   a person of unquestioning obedience
   synonyms: flunkey, flunky, yes-man

   types:

   pushover

   someone who is easily taken advantage of

   type of:

   follower

   a person who accepts the leadership of another
3. verb

   act as the stooge
   “His role was to stooge for the popular comedian”

   type of:

   act, play, playact, roleplay

   perform on a stage or theater
4. verb

   act as a stooge, in a compliant or subordinate manner
   “He stooged for the flamboyant Senator”

   type of:

   act, behave, do

   behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself
5. verb

   cruise in slow or routine flights
   type of:

   cruise

   travel at a moderate speed