plural victims
1
: a person who has been attacked, injured, robbed, or killed by someone else
a victim of abuse/violence
a murder/rape victim
2
: a person who is cheated or fooled by someone else
the victims of a hoax
3
: someone or something that is harmed by an unpleasant event (such as an illness or accident)
a victim of fate/circumstance
a tornado victim
He was the victim of an error.
an AIDS/cancer victim
a fashion victim [=someone who wears fashionable clothes that make them look unattractive or silly]
4
: a person or animal that is offered as a gift to a god in a religious ritual
sacrificial victims
Cite this Entry
“Victim.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/victim. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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