sitting duck
Meaning
An easy target—someone/something vulnerable and unable to escape or defend against attack or criticism.
Origin
From hunting: a duck sitting on the water/ground is an easy shot compared with one flying, so the phrase became a metaphor for a defenseless target (recorded from the 19th century).
Notes
Implies vulnerability and little chance to avoid being targeted. Common in news/business contexts; can sound harsh because it frames someone as prey.
Examples
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Without a firewall, your computer is a sitting duck for hackers.
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If you park under that tree during the storm, your car will be a sitting duck for falling branches.
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With his hands tied and no backup, he felt like a sitting duck in the negotiation.
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The goalie was out of position, leaving the net a sitting duck.
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After the layoffs, the smallest teams became sitting ducks for budget cuts.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually used as a noun phrase with an article: “a sitting duck.” Often with linking verbs (“be/feel like a sitting duck”) or as an object (“make him a sitting duck”). Plural: “sitting ducks.”
Synonyms
- easy target
- soft target
- easy mark
- easy prey
Antonyms
- hard target
- moving target