Meanings
- derogatoryA rape accusation made in bad faith.
She [Potiphar's wife] then played the rape card, and Joseph was thrown into prison. If I had been Joseph, I would be thinking, Hey, God, You gave me those dreams! Look at me now.
1998, Dwight Reighard, Pat Springle, Discovering Your North Star, page 3452 more examples
Furthermore, following the genocide, some women were questioned with the “rape card,” namely their fellow residents wondered if they had managed to spare their lives by sleeping with attackers, i.e., facilitating rape instead of immediate death (Sharlach, 2000).
2014, Lori Poloni-Staudinger, Candice D. Ortbals, Terrorism and Violent Conflict, page 21"Shut up Jodi..." Jillian began with a snarl. "Before I have rough sex with you again." "Hey, rape is nothing to joke about." "Um, yeah, when we're talking about an actual rape." Jillian scoffed. "You should be ashamed of yourself playing the rape card in your situation."
2014, Luke Young, Ian Dalton, Friends With Multiple Benefits
Origin
Suggesting a playing card conferring an advantage in a game; compare race card, play the gender card.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
rape card. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rape%20card
“rape card.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rape%20card. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rape card,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rape%20card.
Source: rape card on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.