just a pawn
4
7.7
- idiom
- Offensive
:
peón
- Mellis was just a pawn, and Banish's anger for him had dried up and died.
Examples
-
And I'm just a pawn in your stupid games.
-
In the corporate world, many employees feel like they are just a pawn in their bosses' strategies.
-
And that poor priest... he was just a pawn.
-
I'm just a pawn like everybody else.
-
I'm praying for him since I truly believe he is just a pawn in a much bigger scheme.
Blog text (22) -
The small union that would not budge was just a pawn in his game.
Blog text (1) -
The question is: are you one of the victors or just a pawn?
Blog text (33) -
Aren't we all just pawns in someone's game?
Blog text (14) -
Politicians are just pawns.
Blog text (21) -
He's insistent that she's just a pawn in the government's war against the Bovaro family.
Blog text (14)
Synonyms
152
5.6
A person controlled by others to do things for them
69
7.2
A person used by others to do what they want
5
9.0
A man who works as a servant in a rich house and obeys orders
4
9.9
A foolish person who is easy to trick or control
A person who someone else uses without them knowing
Antonyms
How Powerful
∞
1.0
15
3.2
295
2.4
- Offensive
4
7.7
3
3.5
- Offensive
587
4.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'just' (only/merely) combined with 'pawn' (a chess piece often used figuratively for a person who is manipulated); the phrase simply states someone is only an instrument with no power. This compositional metaphor (pawn = powerless/used person) is common and follows a predictable pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand it.
Etymology
Just a pawn comes from the game of chess, where a pawn is the smallest, weakest piece that players move or even sacrifice to win. So calling someone just a pawn means they are 'used by others' and have 'no real power'.