Definition

Noun: 1. A person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event or action. This is the most common meaning, referring to someone who suffers directly from a negative or harmful situation. 2. A person who is tricked, deceived, or swindled. This meaning focuses on someone who is exploited or taken advantage of, often financially or emotionally. 3. (Often used with 'of') A person who is adversely affected by a particular situation, condition, or set of circumstances. This broader usage describes someone suffering from misfortune, illness, or systemic issues.

Usage Examples

• As a person harmed or killed:
  • The police are searching for the attacker and comforting the victim.
  • She was the sole victim of the car crash.
• As a person who is tricked or swindled:
  • He was the victim of an online scam and lost his savings.
  • The con artist preyed on elderly victims.
• As a person suffering from circumstances:
  • Many people became victims of the economic recession.
  • He sees himself as a victim of his own poor decisions.

Advanced Usage

• "To fall victim to (something)": To become a victim of something, such as a disease, a crime, or a negative trend.
  • Many small businesses fell victim to the pandemic.
• "A victim of its own success": An idiom describing a person, organization, or system that experiences problems because it has become too popular or successful.
  • The popular app became a victim of its own success when the servers couldn't handle the traffic.

Variants and Related Words

• Victimize (verb): To make someone a victim; to single someone out for cruel or unfair treatment.
  • He felt he was being victimized by his coworkers.
• Victimization (noun): The act of making someone a victim.
  • The report studied the victimization of minority groups.
• Victimless (adjective): Describing a crime considered to have no direct victim (e.g., some consensual crimes).
  • They argued that the offense was a victimless crime.

Synonyms

• Casualty: Often used for victims of wars or disasters.
• Sufferer: Emphasizes the experience of enduring pain or hardship.
• Prey: Emphasizes the relationship where one is hunted or exploited by another.
• Dupe: Specifically for someone who is easily deceived or tricked.

Related Phrases

• "Victim mentality" or "victim complex": A psychological state where a person tends to recognize or consider themselves as a victim in various situations, often persistently.
  • His constant victim mentality prevented him from taking responsibility.
• "To play the victim": To act as if one is a victim, especially to gain sympathy or avoid blame.
  • Whenever he's criticized, he just plays the victim.

Noun

1. a person who is tricked or swindled
2. an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance