Stooge
noun
A person who serves to support or assist others, often in doing unimportant tasks or dirty work.
He was always used as a stooge in the office, running errands for everyone else.
Often appears as...
- political stooge
- corporate stooge
noun
A performer who acts as the butt of a comedian's jokes.
In comedy acts, a stooge is often the one who is set up for pranks or made to look foolish.
Often appears as...
- comedy stooge
- on-stage stooge
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A person used by others to carry out some dishonest or dangerous task.
He was a stooge for the gang, always carrying out the risky jobs.
Often appears as...
- criminal stooge
- mob stooge
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A person who serves to support or assist others, often in doing unimportant tasks or dirty work.
He was always used as a stooge in the office, running errands for everyone else.
Often appears as...
- political stooge
- corporate stooge
noun
A performer who acts as the butt of a comedian's jokes.
In comedy acts, a stooge is often the one who is set up for pranks or made to look foolish.
Often appears as...
- comedy stooge
- on-stage stooge
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A person used by others to carry out some dishonest or dangerous task.
He was a stooge for the gang, always carrying out the risky jobs.
Often appears as...
- criminal stooge
- mob stooge
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Unvalued Worker
Implies the person is not highly respected and does minor tasks others don't want.
The new intern became the team's stooge, making copies and coffee runs.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
Often used negatively to suggest someone is easily controlled or used.
Don't be their stooge and stand up for your own ideas.
Pro Tip 3/3Subservient Role
Highlights a power imbalance between the 'stooge' and those they assist.
She felt like a stooge, always doing her boss's personal errands.
Pro Tip 1/3Unvalued Worker
Implies the person is not highly respected and does minor tasks others don't want.
The new intern became the team's stooge, making copies and coffee runs.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
Often used negatively to suggest someone is easily controlled or used.
Don't be their stooge and stand up for your own ideas.
Pro Tip 3/3Subservient Role
Highlights a power imbalance between the 'stooge' and those they assist.
She felt like a stooge, always doing her boss's personal errands.
Pro Tip 1/3Unvalued Worker
Implies the person is not highly respected and does minor tasks others don't want.
The new intern became the team's stooge, making copies and coffee runs.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
Often used negatively to suggest someone is easily controlled or used.
Don't be their stooge and stand up for your own ideas.
Pro Tip 3/3Subservient Role
Highlights a power imbalance between the 'stooge' and those they assist.
She felt like a stooge, always doing her boss's personal errands.
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Quote examples
Henry A. Wallace
American Vice President
The obvious types of American fascists are dealt with on the air and in the press. These demagogues and stooges are fronts for others. Dangerous as these people may be, they are not so significant as thousands of other people who have never been mentioned.
Quote examples
Keith Barry
Irish Entertainer
For me, I live for performing live because people look at magicians on television, and they always wonder, 'Is it a camera trick?' 'Is it a stooge?' whereas, live, they know there's no set-ups; there's no stooges.
Quote examples
Aram Saroyan
American Poet
My father never liked me or my sister, and he never liked our mother either, after an initial infatuation, and in fact, he never liked anyone at all after an hour or two, no, no one except a stooge.
Quote examples
Keith Barry
Irish Entertainer
My first TV show was 2003. You wouldn't be in the game this long if you were using stooges and actors and all that kind of stuff; quite honestly, the answer is we don't need them.
Quote examples
Sucheta Dalal
Industrialists have begun to realise that they would probably be better at influencing policy themselves, rather than depend on some political stooge or corrupt bureaucrat.
Quote examples
Matt Besser
American Actor
For all you Joe Besser haters who claim that he was the worst Stooge, that's not true - Curly Joe DeRita was the worst stooge. Joe Besser was the second worst.
Quote examples
Frank Deford
American Writer
Several NBA teams got their best gates every season when they scheduled a doubleheader and booked the Globetrotters and their stooges for the opening game.
Quote examples
Nathan Phillips
Australian Actor
For my first Hollywood film, I really didn't want to be doing a film where I'm looking like a stooge with fake snakes that look like socks.
Quote examples
Henry A. Wallace
American Vice President
The obvious types of American fascists are dealt with on the air and in the press. These demagogues and stooges are fronts for others. Dangerous as these people may be, they are not so significant as thousands of other people who have never been mentioned.
Quote examples
Keith Barry
Irish Entertainer
For me, I live for performing live because people look at magicians on television, and they always wonder, 'Is it a camera trick?' 'Is it a stooge?' whereas, live, they know there's no set-ups; there's no stooges.
Quote examples
Aram Saroyan
American Poet
My father never liked me or my sister, and he never liked our mother either, after an initial infatuation, and in fact, he never liked anyone at all after an hour or two, no, no one except a stooge.
Quote examples
Keith Barry
Irish Entertainer
My first TV show was 2003. You wouldn't be in the game this long if you were using stooges and actors and all that kind of stuff; quite honestly, the answer is we don't need them.
Quote examples
Sucheta Dalal
Industrialists have begun to realise that they would probably be better at influencing policy themselves, rather than depend on some political stooge or corrupt bureaucrat.
Quote examples
Matt Besser
American Actor
For all you Joe Besser haters who claim that he was the worst Stooge, that's not true - Curly Joe DeRita was the worst stooge. Joe Besser was the second worst.
Quote examples
Frank Deford
American Writer
Several NBA teams got their best gates every season when they scheduled a doubleheader and booked the Globetrotters and their stooges for the opening game.
Quote examples
Nathan Phillips
Australian Actor
For my first Hollywood film, I really didn't want to be doing a film where I'm looking like a stooge with fake snakes that look like socks.
Example 1 of 8
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