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When the ancient Greeks used dēmagōgós (from dêmos, meaning “people,” and -agōgos, “leading”) they meant someone good—a leader who used outstanding oratorical skills to further the interests of the common people. The first known use of demagogue in English comes from the introduction to Thomas Hobbes’s 1629 translation of a text by the ancient Greek historian Thucydides: “It need not be doubted, but from such a master Thucydides was sufficiently qualified, to have become a great demagogue, and of great authority with the people.” Alas, the word quickly took a negative turn; within decades it was being used to refer to someone who uses powers of persuasion to sway and mislead.
Examples of demagogue in a Sentence
Gordon S. Wood, Revolutionary Characters, 2006
Before the U.S. could begin to help Haiti rebuild its ravaged democracy last week, it first had to remove a raving demagogue.
—Tim Padgett et al., Time, 15 Mar. 2004
Here's the background: Tennessee's finances are a mess. The state is facing a shortfall of some $310 million—but legislators remember what happened last year when they considered imposing the first income tax on wages. Goaded by talk-radio demagogues, hundreds of citizens surrounded the Statehouse in a near riot.
—Editor & Publisher, 4 Feb. 2002
His opponent called him a bigoted demagogue.
that politician is just a demagogue who preys upon people's fears and prejudices
Verb
But Clinton's boldness seemed to work, at least within the Beltway. House Republicans mostly stifled the urge to demagogue against his plan.
—Tom Morganthau et al., Newsweek, 11 Dec. 1995
Time, 8 Apr. 2025
Her father was a consul; her brother, Clodius Pulcher, was a powerful demagogue and the archenemy of Cicero.
—Daniel Mendelsohn, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Say it over and over again, so long as there’s wealth there will be politicians trying to demagogue it.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for demagogue
Cite this Entry
“Demagogue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demagogue. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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