in effigy
Burning a dummy
In effigy describes doing something to a representation of a person rather than to the person themselves—typically burning or hanging a dummy or image as an act of protest or contempt: Protesters burned the dictator in effigy.
The phrase almost always accompanies verbs of destruction, expressing symbolic violence against someone beyond reach.
- likenessVisual similarity or representation
- Guy Fawkes NightBritish explosive commemoration
- ritual burningFire ceremony with meaning
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
straw figure · symbolic protest · angry mob · model · public shaming · public execution · scapegoating · dummy · caricature · pretended · burning · condemnation · political satire · hate figure · figurative · public dissent · mock-up · mannequin
in effigyin person
Bodily present somewhere
in the flesh · in reality · actually · literally · bodily
in effigyface to face
In someone's presence
in person · in the flesh · directly · hands-on · corporeally