Scapegoat

Meaning

The idiom "scapegoat" refers to someone or something that is unfairly blamed for a problem or mistake, even if they are not responsible for it.

Usage

• The company's profits have been declining, and the CEO has decided to make the marketing department the scapegoat for their failure.
• Some politicians have accused immigrants of being the scapegoat for economic problems in the country.
• John was the scapegoat for the team's poor performance in the game.
• The manager chose to blame the IT department for the system outage, making them the scapegoat for the problem.
• The government has been using the pandemic as an excuse to pass unpopular policies, with the elderly being the scapegoat for their decisions.

Roots and History

The idiom "scapegoat" originated in the biblical story of the Day of Atonement, where a goat was chosen to be sacrificed in place of the sins of the people. Over time, the term has evolved to refer to anyone or anything that is unfairly blamed for a problem or mistake, even if they are not responsible for it.

Synonyms in English

• Scapegoat: Fall guy, whipping boy, scapegoating, scapegoated, blameworthy
• Unscrupulous: Dishonest, unethical, deceitful, manipulative, cunning
• Malefactor: Wrongdoer, villain, ne'er-do-well, perpetrator, offender

Synonyms in other languages

• Spanish: Culpa o responsable (blameworthy or responsible)
• French: Mettre en cause (to blame or accuse)
• German: Verantwortlich (responsible)
• Japanese: 責任者 (responsible person)
• Italian: Responsabile (responsible)

Similar Idioms

• shilly-shally

• sea change

• scared to death