scapegoat

bouc émissaire

Personne injustement accusée ou punie pour un problème causé par d’autres.

En anglais simple : Someone who is unfairly blamed or punished for a problem caused by other people.

• They needed a scapegoat for the mistake.
• The manager used me as a scapegoat.
• Why should the youngest worker become everyone's scapegoat?

Comment l'utiliser : scapegoat for something (They made her a scapegoat for the company's losses.); make a scapegoat of someone (The manager made a scapegoat of the newest employee.)

Synonymes : fall guy, whipping boy

Expressions courantes : make someone a scapegoat, scapegoat for something, use a scapegoat, find a scapegoat

bouc émissaire

Bouc envoyé au désert lors d’un ancien rite juif, censé emporter les péchés du peuple.

En anglais simple : A goat sent into the wilderness in an ancient Jewish ceremony, believed to carry away the people's sins.

• The priest sent the scapegoat into the wilderness.
• The scapegoat symbolically carried away the people's sins.
• One goat was sacrificed, while the scapegoat was released alive.

Expressions courantes : ritual scapegoat, release the scapegoat, send the scapegoat

prendre pour bouc émissaire, accuser injustement

Accuser ou punir injustement quelqu’un pour un problème dont il n’est pas responsable.

En anglais simple : To unfairly blame or punish someone for a problem they did not cause.

• Don't scapegoat the new worker.
• The leaders scapegoated others for their own mistakes.
• Minority groups are often scapegoated during an economic crisis.

Comment l'utiliser : scapegoat someone for something (They scapegoated the assistant for the failed project.)

Synonymes : blame unfairly, make a scapegoat of

Expressions courantes : scapegoat someone, scapegoat someone for something