sitting duck

IPA/ˌsɪtɪŋ ˈdʌk/
IPA/ˌsɪtɪŋ ˈdʌk/

sitting duck — noun

1. Any person, organization, or object that can be harmed or exploited very easily

1.名詞B2
釋義

Any person, organization, or object that can be harmed or exploited very easily because they are in a position where they cannot defend themselves.

例句

Without any security cameras, the corner shop was a sitting duck for late-night robbers.

collocation: a sitting duck for [attackers]

Kwame felt like a sitting duck walking home alone through the dark streets after midnight.

common pattern: feel like a sitting duck

同義詞
  • easy target

    the most common neutral alternative; less vivid but usable in any register

  • soft target

    used especially in security and military contexts for places or groups with little protection

  • defenseless victim

    emphasizes the inability to fight back rather than the ease of attack

反義詞
  • hard target

    military jargon for a well-protected objective

  • fortress

    a person or place that is extremely difficult to attack

文法句型

be a sitting duck (for sth/sb)

feel like a sitting duck

用法筆記

Frequently used in the patterns 'be a sitting duck (for someone/something)' and 'feel like a sitting duck'. The phrase is most common in informal or journalistic writing. The plural form 'sitting ducks' is also used when referring to multiple people or things.

常見錯誤

❌The wooden fishing boat was a sitting duck when the storm rolled in.
✅The wooden fishing boat was an easy target when the storm rolled in.
💡'Sitting duck' implies someone/something is being attacked or hunted intentionally; for accidents or natural danger, use 'easy target' or 'vulnerable' instead.
❌I am a sitting duck in this formal meeting.
✅I feel like a sitting duck in this formal meeting.
💡When expressing personal vulnerability, the 'feel like' structure sounds more natural than a direct 'be' statement.