easy-mark
Definition
Noun:
1. A gullible person: an "easy mark" is a person who is easily deceived, cheated, or taken advantage of, especially in financial or social situations.
2. A vulnerable target: it can also refer to someone who is an easy victim for scams, tricks, or manipulation.
Usage Examples
- (He is a person easily deceived.)
- (They are vulnerable targets for theft.)
- (Don’t be a gullible person.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be an easy mark for someone": to be a person who is readily exploited by a particular individual.
- She was an easy mark for her manipulative colleague, who always asked her to do his work. (She was easily taken advantage of by him.)
- "to make an easy mark of someone": to treat someone as a gullible target.
- The con artist made an easy mark of the elderly man, convincing him to invest in a fake scheme. (The con artist deceived him easily.)
Variants and Related Words
- Easy (adj): not difficult; requiring little effort.
- The test was easy for most students. (It was not hard.)
- Mark (n): a target; a person who is the object of a scam or trick (slang).
- The thief chose his mark carefully. (He selected his victim.)
Synonyms
- Gullible person: someone who is easily fooled or deceived.
- Sucker: a slang term for a person who is easily tricked.
- Pigeon: a slang term for a victim of a scam.
Related Idioms
- "An easy target": a person or thing that is vulnerable to attack or criticism.
- The new employee was an easy target for office bullies. (He was vulnerable to harassment.)
- "A sitting duck": a person or thing that is an easy target for attack or criticism.
- Without security, the house was a sitting duck for burglars. (It was an easy target for crime.)