a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action or agency

a victim of an automobile accident.

a person who is deceived or cheated, as by his or her own emotions or ignorance, by the dishonesty of others, or by some impersonal agency

a victim of misplaced confidence; the victim of a swindler; a victim of an optical illusion.

a person or animal sacrificed or regarded as sacrificed

war victims.

a living creature sacrificed in religious rites.

noun

criminal , culprit

noun

babe in woods , butt , casualty , clown , dupe , easy make , easy mark * , fatality , fool , gambit , gopher , gudgeon , gull , hireling , hunted , immolation , injured party , innocent , mark , martyr , patsy , pawn , pigeon * , prey , pushover * , quarry , sacrifice , scapegoat , sitting duck * , sitting target , soft touch * , stooge * , sucker , sufferer , underdog , wretch , hecatomb , offering , lamb , pushover , (colloq.) gull , chump , cully , goat , stooge