patsy
/ˈpætsi/noun, verb
patsy is spelled P-A-T-S-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Patsy, the name). As a derogatory noun, patsy means “A person who is easily manipulated, victimized, or made to take the blame for something” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of patsy is patsies.
How many letters and syllables are in patsy?
| Letters | 5: P-A-T-S-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 24,745th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is patsy?
Patsy appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Patsy, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce patsy?
- /ˈpætsi/
Patsy has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What rhymes with patsy?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as patsy.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: pasty.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of patsy
- patsies plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- patsying participle, present
- patsied participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does patsy mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
derogatoryinformalA person who is easily manipulated, victimized, or made to take the blame for something.
- 2
A conspirator, secretly designated by co-conspirators to take full blame and punishment for a wrongdoing, particularly an assassination; a fall guy.
verb
- 1
informalTo treat (a person) as a patsy or sucker; to pin the blame on.
- 2
informalTo mess around; to waste time.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Patsy in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense a person who is taken advantage of:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | lampiste, pigeon |
| German | Sündenbock, Buhmann, Prügelknabe, Naivling, Einfaltspinsel, Gelackmeierter |
| Spanish | cabeza de turco, primo, pardillo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does patsy come from?
The term dates back at least to the 1870s in the United States, close to the peak of Irish migration. The OED's recent revisions link Patsy with Pat and Paddy, the stereotype of the bogtrotter just off the boat. The American Heritage Dictionary and Online Etymology Dictionary quotes the OED it may derive from the Italian pazzo (“madman”), and souther Italian dialect paccio (“fool”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).