Definition of scapegoat - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
blameperson unfairly blamed for others' mistakes
- He became the scapegoat for the team's failure.
2.
ritualRare goat symbolically carrying sins in a ritualRare
- The scapegoat was sent into the wilderness.
Verb
1.
blame transferblame someone else for one's own problems
- They often scapegoat others for their failures at work..
2.
behaviorunfairly blame someone for others' mistakes
- The manager scapegoated the intern for the project's failure.
Origin of scapegoat
Hebrew, saʿir (goat) + ʿazazel (removal)
Terms with scapegoat included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
scapegoat
person blamed for others' mistakes
scapegoat
person blamed for others' mistakes or crimes
scapegoat act
sacrifice someone to save others
sacrifice scapegoat
blame someone to avoid trouble
scapegoat
someone blamed for others' mistakes
scapegoat
someone blamed for causing problems
social dynamics
treated unfairly as a scapegoat
Examples of scapegoat in a sentence
The manager used him as a scapegoat to cover up the error. The villagers chose a scapegoat for the ceremony. In ancient times, a scapegoat was used in rituals. Politicians often scapegoat immigrants during economic crises. She tried to scapegoat her colleague for the project's failure. She was unfairly scapegoated for the team's poor performance.
Politicians often scapegoat immigrants during economic downturns.
View all translations of scapegoat
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:bouc émissaire, faire porter le chapeau, ...
- German:Sündenbock, beschuldigen, ...
- Italian:capro espiatorio, dare la colpa agli altri, ...
- Spanish:chivo expiatorio, convertir en chivo expiatorio, ...
- Portuguese:bode expiatório, culpar, ...
- Chinese:替罪羊, 推卸责任, ...
- Japanese:スケープゴート, スケープゴートにする, ...
- Arabic:كَبْش فِدَاء, يَتَّخِذُ شَخْصًا كَكَبْشِ فِدَاء, ...
- Hebrew:שָׂעִיר לַעֲזָאזֵל, לְהַאֲשִׁים, ...
- Russian:козел отпущения, делать козлом отпущения, ...
- Ukrainian:цап-відбувайло, звинувачувати, ...
- Hindi:बलि का बकरा, बलि का बकरा बनाना, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the