Useful Idiot

C1 16+

Pronunciation: /ˈjusfəl ˈɪdiət/

Definitions of useful idiot

noun a person who is unwittingly manipulated by someone else to promote their own agenda or interests

Example Sentences

A1 He is a useful idiot for the political party, always blindly following their orders.

A2 The leader used the naive young man as a useful idiot to carry out their dirty work.

B1 The cult leader manipulated his followers into becoming useful idiots for his own gain.

B2 The government official was seen as a useful idiot by the corrupt businessman, easily swayed by promises of power and wealth.

C1 The dictator saw the foreign ambassador as a useful idiot, unaware of the true intentions behind their friendly gestures.

C2 The intelligence agency recruited the journalist as a useful idiot, feeding them false information to spread disinformation.

adjective describing someone who is being used in this way

Example Sentences

A1 She is a useful idiot for the scam artist, believing everything he says without question.

A2 The politician used the useful idiot to spread misinformation among the public.

B1 The cult leader manipulated the useful idiot into doing his bidding without question.

B2 The dictator relied on useful idiots to maintain control over the population.

C1 The mastermind behind the scheme carefully selected useful idiots to carry out the plan.

C2 The organization used useful idiots to further their agenda without them even realizing it.

Examples of useful idiot in a Sentence

formal The political strategist saw the activist as a useful idiot to further their own agenda.

informal The boss always sees him as a useful idiot, doing all the work without getting any credit.

slang He's just a useful idiot for the company, always doing what they say without question.

figurative The puppet leader was nothing more than a useful idiot for the real power behind the scenes.

Grammatical Forms of useful idiot

past tense

used

plural

useful idiots

comparative

more useful

superlative

most useful

present tense

use

future tense

will use

perfect tense

have used

continuous tense

is using

singular

useful idiot

positive degree

useful

infinitive

to use

gerund

using

participle

used

Origin and Evolution of useful idiot

First Known Use: 1920 year
Language of Origin: Russian
Story behind the word: The term 'useful idiot' originated in the context of Russian politics during the early 20th century.
Evolution of the word: Originally used by Russian revolutionaries to describe Western sympathizers who naively supported the Communist cause without fully understanding the implications. Over time, the term has been adopted in English and other languages to refer to individuals who unwittingly promote a cause or ideology that is ultimately detrimental to their own interests.