pied piper

noun

often capitalized both Ps
1
: one that offers strong but delusive enticement
2
: a leader who makes irresponsible promises
3
: a charismatic person who attracts followers

Examples of pied piper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Perhaps Cohen can meme-stock GameStop’s way out of its fight to survive once more, but with all his miscues and baggage piling up, the pied piper’s magic seems to be wearing thin. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2024 As the final 90 seconds ticked off the scoreboard at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday night, Ravens veteran wide receiver and pied piper Odell Beckham Jr. pulled Zay Flowers in close. Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 28 Jan. 2024 The West must fight in court, in neighborhoods, and in compulsory programs that separate young people who have not yet committed serious offenses from ISIS’ pied pipers. Jytte Klausen, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2015 The pied piper of the civil rights movement at that time was Harry Belafonte. John Leland, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2023 Lately, though, one of the original pied pipers of that frenzy, Chewy founder Ryan Cohen, has worn out his welcome with people who wear suits to work even as his original fan base has started to find other hobbies. WSJ, 8 June 2023 As time has gone on, Robinson has become both expert and pied piper for such financing strategies. Dwain Hebda, Arkansas Online, 7 May 2023 The pied piper of lost souls, the melancholy maestro.. tonite was your night. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2023 Instead, led by a coterie of ladies who look like they got lost en route to a Death Cab for Cutie show, the crowd fervently shouts along, eventually drowning out the 31-year-old pied piper onstage. Spin Staff, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pied piper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

the Pied Piper, hero of a German folktale who charmed the rats of Hameln, Germany, into a river

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pied piper was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near pied piper

Cite this Entry

“Pied piper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pied%20piper. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!