scarecrow

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. a person who looks very thin, messy, or is wearing ragged clothes.

n. a derogatory term for a person perceived as resembling a scarecrow, specifically one who is gaunt, awkward, or dressed in rags.

“After weeks of traveling in the rain, he looked like a total scarecrow.”

“The protagonist was described as a human scarecrow, with limbs too long for his frame and clothes that had seen better decades.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary

n. something that looks scary but is not actually dangerous.

n. a figurative term for an object or situation that appears formidable or threatening but lacks the power to cause actual harm.

“The new law turned out to be a scarecrow with no way to punish people.”

“Critics argued that the military buildup was a mere scarecrow, designed to appease the public without intending to initiate actual conflict.”

C2 · Proficiency Literary

v. to make someone look or act stiff and strange, like a straw figure.

v. to cause a person or their posture to appear rigid, awkward, or ungainly, reminiscent of an effigy.

“The heavy, oversized coat seemed to scarecrow his small frame.”

“The ill-fitting ceremonial armor served only to scarecrow the young squire, making his every movement appear jerky and unnatural.”