sitting duck

noun
UK: /ˈsɪtɪŋ ˈdʌk/
US: /ˈsɪtɪŋ ˈdʌk/

  1. Someone in a vulnerable position, easy to attack or cheat.

    1. He was a sitting duck out there.
    2. Without any protection, they were a sitting duck for their competitors' aggressive tactics.

Synonyms

vulnerable exposed
sitting duck idiom

  1. In a vulnerable position.

    1. I felt like a sitting duck.
    2. The company's lack of security made them a sitting duck for cyberattacks.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "sitting duck" is /ˈsɪtɪŋ ˈdʌk/ in British English and /ˈsɪtɪŋ ˈdʌk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "sitting duck": vulnerable, exposed.

Example usage of "sitting duck": "He was a sitting duck out there.". More examples on the page.