dummy
/ˈdʌmi/
verb
- To pretend or fake an action, especially in sports to deceive an opponent.
- The quarterback dummyed a pass and then ran the ball himself.
- She dummyed a shot to the left, then kicked the ball to the right.
- He dummyed a handoff, fooling the defender completely.
noun
- A model or replica of a human, used for display, practice, or testing.
- The store window featured a mannequin dummy dressed in the latest fashion.
- The archery club practiced on a straw dummy shaped like a deer.
- Crash test dummies are used to study car safety.
- A stupid or foolish person.
- He felt like a dummy when he couldn't answer the simple question.
- Don't be a dummy; read the instructions before you start.
- Only a dummy would leave their keys in the car.
- In card games like bridge, the player whose hand is placed face-up on the table and played by their partner.
- After the bidding, the dummy laid down their cards for everyone to see.
- She played the dummy's hand carefully to win the trick.
- The dummy's cards revealed a strong suit of spades.
- A rubber or plastic teat for a baby to suck on; a pacifier.
- Some parents prefer not to use a dummy for their infants.
- The baby calmed down as soon as she got her dummy.
- He dropped his dummy on the floor, so his mom washed it.
- A person who is silent or does not speak (often used in historical contexts).
- In the old silent film, the actor played a dummy who communicated only with gestures.
- The spy remained a dummy, refusing to answer any questions.
- He was treated like a dummy, expected to nod and obey.
Antonyms
adjective
- Designed to imitate something real but not functional; mock or simulated.
- We set up a dummy email account to test the system.
- The soldiers trained with dummy rifles that looked real but couldn't fire.
- The dummy camera in the parking lot was just for show.
- Stupid or foolish (informal).
- He made a dummy mistake by forgetting to save his work.
- That was a dummy move, leaving the gate open.
- Don't do anything dummy like running into the street.