noun
Meaning 1
A doll or scarecrow, particularly one stuffed with straw.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Phrase guide
straw man
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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noun
Meaning 2
An innocuous person or someone of nominal or lesser importance, as a front man or straw boss.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
An insubstantial concept, idea, endeavor or argument, particularly one deliberately set up to be weakly supported, e.g. by misrepresenting an opponent's argument by broadening or narrowing the scope of a premise, so that it can be easily knocked down; especially to impugn the strength of any related or contrasted thing or idea.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: steelman
noun
Meaning 4
An outline serving as an initial proposal for a project, usually refined iteratively.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Topics: business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
Examples
- a tentative straw-man spec
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Synonym of straw buyer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: straw buyer
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To falsely attribute an insubstantial argument (a straw man argument) to another through direct declaration or indirect implication; to put words in someone's mouth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- Person A: "Cats have claws." Person B: "Not all cats have claws: some are declawed." Person A: "Don't straw man me; I never said all."
- 1996 [Vale Press], Ralph H. Johnson, The Rise of Informal Logic, Windsor Studies in Argumentation, 2014, E-edition, page 178, I have also argued that he is guilty of straw manning Copi and that his charge of shoddy reasoning against Kahane makes use of an equivocation on the concept of fallacy.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scarecrow, strawman, bird-scarer, scarer
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: effigy, image, simulacrum
noun
Meaning 8
a weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: strawman
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: specious argument
noun
Meaning 9
a person used as a cover for some questionable activity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: front man, front, figurehead, nominal head, strawman
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: deceiver, cheat, cheater, trickster, beguiler, slicker
History
Etymology
From straw + man. Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1986 passim, shows first known usages for things insubstantial date to 1585-95. Universal Dictionary of the English Language, 1897, Vol 4, p. 4485, notes “man of straw” as “The figure of a man formed of an old suit of clothes stuffed with straw; hence, the mere resemblance of a man; one of no substance or means; an imaginary person.” Compare West Frisian strieman, Dutch strooman, stroman, German Strohmann, Danish stråmand, Swedish stråman, Norwegian stråmann.
Across languages
Translations
52 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: плашило (plašilo) — doll or scarecrow
- Catalan: espantaocells — doll or scarecrow
- Finnish: olkinukke — doll or scarecrow
- French: épouvantail — doll or scarecrow
- German: Strohpuppe — doll or scarecrow
- Greek: σκιάχτρο (skiáchtro) — doll or scarecrow
- Italian: spaventapasseri — doll or scarecrow
- Macedonian: пла́шило (plášilo) — doll or scarecrow
- Macedonian: стра́шило (strášilo) — doll or scarecrow
- Polish: chochoł — doll or scarecrow
- Portuguese: espantalho — doll or scarecrow
- Russian: чу́чело (čúčelo) — doll or scarecrow
- Russian: пу́гало (púgalo) — doll or scarecrow
- Russian: страши́ла (strašíla) — doll or scarecrow
- Serbo-Croatian: страшило (strašilo) — doll or scarecrow
- Spanish: espantapájaros — doll or scarecrow
- Swedish: halmdocka — doll or scarecrow
- Swedish: halmgubbe — doll or scarecrow
- Turkish: bostan korkuluğu — doll or scarecrow
- Turkish: korkuluk — doll or scarecrow
- Turkish: oyuk — doll or scarecrow
- Bulgarian: незначителен човек (neznačitelen čovek) — person of lesser importance
- Catalan: home de palla — person of lesser importance
- Danish: stråmand — person of lesser importance
- Finnish: mattimeikäläinen — person of lesser importance
- French: homme de paille — person of lesser importance
- German: Strohmann — person of lesser importance
- Greek: αχυράνθρωπος (achyránthropos) — person of lesser importance
- Hungarian: stróman — person of lesser importance
- Italian: uomo di paglia — person of lesser importance
- Polish: figurant — person of lesser importance
- Polish: figurantka — person of lesser importance
- Polish: marionetka — person of lesser importance
- Portuguese: laranja — person of lesser importance
- Portuguese: testa de ferro — person of lesser importance
- Spanish: hombre de paja — person of lesser importance
- Turkish: bostan korkuluğu — person of lesser importance
- Bulgarian: слаб аргумент — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Chinese Mandarin: 稻草人 (dàocǎorén) — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Danish: stråmand — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Finnish: olkinukke — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- French: homme de paille — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Polish: chochoł — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Portuguese: espantalho — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Spanish: argucia — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Swedish: halmgubbe — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Swedish: halmdocka — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Welsh: cocyn anelu — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Welsh: cocyn hitio — insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument
- Polish: szkic — initial project spec
- Polish: zarys — initial project spec
- Portuguese: esboço — initial project spec