View synonyms for sad sack

sad sack

noun

, Slang.

a pathetically inept person, especially a soldier, who continually blunders in spite of good intentions.

sad sack

noun

slang.
an inept person who makes mistakes despite good intentions

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Other Words From

sad-sack adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of sad sack¹

After the cartoon character created in 1942 by U.S. cartoonist George Baker (1915–75)

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Word History and Origins

Origin of sad sack¹

C20: from a cartoon character created by G. Baker, US cartoonist

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Idioms and Phrases

A singularly inept person, as in Poor George is a hopeless sad sack . This term alludes to a cartoon character, Sad Sack, invented by George Baker in 1942 and representing a soldier in ill-fitting uniform who failed at whatever he tried to do. It was soon transferred to clumsily inept civilians.

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Example Sentences

You, dear reader and refusenik, will likely be called a cynic or a sad sack by friends.

From The Daily Beast

As Andy Hanson, Hoffman is completely despicable—a far cry from his earlier sad-sack roles—but no less riveting.

From The Daily Beast

Her sad-sack ex, currently busy haunting Chapel Hill bars, continues to escape any real blame.

From The Daily Beast

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April 18, 2024petrichor

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

SADS sad tree

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