Meanings
nounstooge (plural stooges)
plural stooges
- One who knowingly allows themself to be used for another's profit; a dupe.
I'd like to show you what a wipeout looks like from the board. I'm pretty good at getting wiped out, so I'll be the stooge.
1966, Bruce Brown, director, The Endless SummerSynonyms: acolyte, adjutant, aide, bootlicker, disciple, flunkey, footman, satrap
- comedyA straight man.
- A secret informant for police.
- human sciencesA confederate; a person who is secretly working for the researcher, unknown to the study participant.
Synonyms: confederate
verbstooge (third-person singular simple present stooges, present participle stooging, simple past and past participle stooged)
present singular third person stooges · participle present stooging · participle past stooged · past stooged
- intransitiveTo act as a straight man.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne who knowingly allows themself to be used for another's profit; a dupe.
nounA confederate; a person who is secretly working for the researcher, unknown to the study participant.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Perhaps an abbreviation of Russian студе́нт (studént) [stʊˈdʲent]; the original meaning was “stage assistant, actor who assists a comedian”. It may have been a Yiddish vaudeville term.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic عَمِيل
- عَمِيل (ʕamīl)one who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
Bulgarian марионетка, доносник
- марионетка (marionetka)one who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- доносник (donosnik)secret informant for police
Chinese Mandarin 傀儡, 密探
- 傀儡 (kuǐlěi)one who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- 密探 (mìtàn)secret informant for police
- 線人 /线人 (xiànrén)secret informant for police
Czech loutka, panák
- loutkaone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- panákone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- poskokone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- udavačsecret informant for police
- práskačsecret informant for police
Finnish lammas, avustaja
- lammasone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- avustajamagician's assistant
- vasikkasecret informant for police
- valekoehenkilöpsychology: confederate
French dupe, pion
- dupeone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- pionone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- pigeonone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- larbinone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- laquaisone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
German Marionette, Handlanger
- Marionetteone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- Handlangerone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- Handlangerinone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- Strohmannone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- Strohfrauone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- Jasagerone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- Hiwione who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- Spitzelsecret informant for police
- Polizeispitzelsecret informant for police
Hungarian stróman, bérenc
- strómanone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- bérencone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- bábone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- csicskaone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- pribékone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- balekone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- palimadárone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- besúgósecret informant for police
- spiclisecret informant for police
- téglasecret informant for police
- beépített embersecret informant for police
Japanese 引き立て役, 手先
- 引き立て役 (hikitateyaku)one who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- 手先 (tesaki)one who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- 操り人形 (ayatsuri ningyō)one who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
Polish marionetka, pionek
- marionetkaone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- pionekone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
Russian марионе́тка, подпева́ла
- марионе́тка (marionétka)one who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- подпева́ла (podpevála)one who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- лаке́й (lakéj)one who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- осведоми́тель (osvedomítelʹ)secret informant for police
- осведоми́тельница (osvedomítelʹnica)secret informant for police
- стука́ч (stukáč)secret informant for police
- доносчик (donosčik)secret informant for police
Slovak prisluhovač, poskok
- prisluhovačone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- poskokone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- donášačsecret informant for police
- donášačkasecret informant for police
- konfidentsecret informant for police
- konfidentkasecret informant for police
- špiceľsecret informant for police
Spanish marioneta, primo
- marionetaone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- primoone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- ilusoone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- confidentesecret informant for police
Turkish âlet olan kimse, yaltakçı
- âlet olan kimseone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- yaltakçıone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- yardakçıone who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit — see also dupe
- casussecret informant for police
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with stooge
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
stooge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stooge
MLA
“stooge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stooge. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stooge,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stooge.
Source: stooge on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.