demagogue

1 of 3

noun (1)

dem·​a·​gogue ˈde-mə-ˌgäg 

variants or less commonly demagog

1

: a political leader who appeals to popular prejudices and who makes false claims and promises in order to gain power

His opponent called him a demagogue.

The most fervent devotees of a cult or demagogue are those who mistake courtship for love and the power of a leader for their own.

—Greg Jackson

2

history : a leader in ancient times who championed the cause of the common people

The ruin of civil liberty had silenced the demagogues of Athens, and the tribunes of Rome …

—Edward Gibbon

demagoguery

ˈde-mə-ˌgä-g(ə-)rē 

noun

demagogy

ˈde-mə-ˌgä-gē 

-ˌgä-jē, 

-ˌgō-jē

noun

demagogue

2 of 3

verb

variants or less commonly demagog

demagogued also demagoged; demagoguing also demagoging

intransitive verb

: to behave like a demagogue

transitive verb

: to treat (something, such as an issue) in the manner of a demagogue

demagoguery

3 of 3

noun (2)

dem·​a·​gogu·​ery

plural -es

: the principles or practices of demagogues : demagogic character

oversimplification and single-minded pursuit of an inflammatory issue are characteristics of modern demagoguery

—New Republic

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of demagogue

Noun (1)

• agitator
• firebrand
• rebel
• promoter
• proponent
• provocateur
• insurgent
• apostle
• supporter
• advocate
• protester
• demonstrator
• reformer
• instigator
• rabble-rouser
• inciter
• exciter
• fomenter

Examples of demagogue in a Sentence

Noun (1)

Like other good Whigs, they had assumed that the people, once free of English influence, would honor and elevate the country's true patriots and natural aristocracy in ways that the English Crown had not. But when in the decades following the Revolution the people seemed to succumb to the deceit and flattery of mushroom demagogues, who were the popular counterparts of courtiers, the Federalists became bewildered and bitter. —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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But those standards can be easily stretched by demagogues, and a simple majority on the committee is enough to ban a party, though a panel of nine Supreme Court justices can overturn the decision on appeal. — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 18 May 2026

But demeaning our brand through association with vulgar demagogues is a losing strategy. — Alma Hernandez, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026

Verb

This is the failure that Trump makes in demagoguing Mamdani’s social positions. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 9 Nov. 2025

Ludwig von Mises made clear in his classic book Socialism that wealth begets myriad individuals to demagogue it. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from Greek dēmagōgós, from dêmos "people" + -agōgos "leading, impelling" — more at demo-, -agogue

Verb

verbal derivative of demagogue entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1656, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for demagogue

• analog
• analogue
• catalogue
• decalogue
• dialogue
• epilogue
• homologue
• monologue
• pedagogue
• synagogue
• tagalog
• travelogue

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Kids Definition

demagogue

noun

dem·​a·​gogue

variants also demagog

ˈdem-ə-ˌgäg

: a person who appeals to the emotions and prejudices of people in order to arouse discontent and advance his or her own political purposes

demagogic

ˌdem-ə-ˈgäg-ik

also -ˈgäj-

adjective

demagoguery

ˈdem-ə-ˌgäg-(ə-)rē

noun

demagogy

-ˌgäg-ē, 

-ˌgäj-, 

-ˌgō-jē

noun