How do you say “A sitting duck” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is una presa fácil, which literally means “easy prey”. English speakers use a sitting duck to mean an easy target with little protection. A familiar Spanish match for someone or something easy to attack, defeat or exploit. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
una presa fácil
/una ˈpɾesa ˈfasil/
- Literal meaning
- “easy prey”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
Spanish uses the image of prey rather than a particular bird. A weak defence, not a lack of intelligence, makes the target vulnerable.
Use “para” to name the threat: “una presa fácil para los estafadores”. The phrase can describe a whole group as well as one person.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
An unlocked bike outside all night is a sitting duck for thieves.
Spanish
Una bicicleta sin candado que pasa toda la noche en la calle es una presa fácil para los ladrones.
English
Without a goalkeeper, our team was a sitting duck.
Spanish
Sin portero, nuestro equipo era una presa fácil.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01