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The Gadfly of Athens
It's easy to guess what puts the fly in gadfly: in its oldest meaning, fly refers to a winged insect. But (gadzooks!) what about the gad? As a standalone English word, gad means "chisel," but it once could be used for a spike, spear, or rod for goading cattle. It was in the 16th century that gad was joined with fly to refer to any of several insects that bother livestock. Before too long, English speakers began applying gadfly to people who annoy or provoke others. One of history's most famous gadflies was the philosopher Socrates, who was known for his constant questioning of his fellow Athenians' ethics, misconceptions, and assumptions. In his Apology, Plato describes Socrates' characterization of Athens as a large and sluggish horse and of Socrates himself as the fly that bites and rouses it. Many translations use gadfly in this portion of the Apology, and Socrates is sometimes referred to as the "gadfly of Athens."
Examples of gadfly in a Sentence
Chris Willman, Variety, 14 June 2025
Meanwhile the city’s Republican Party, a diminished institution whose line Mike Bloomberg rented, allowed the gadfly Curtis Sliwa to take its nomination unopposed.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 25 June 2025
Political tumult in Arizona opened a path for a perennial election gadfly with anti-government leanings to win the governor’s race.
—The Arizona Republic, 22 July 2024
The night began with an interruption from Paperboy Prince, the activist and perennial gadfly candidate, who hijacked the stage wearing clown makeup and white gloves.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gadfly
Cite this Entry
“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gadfly. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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