demagogue

C2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˈdɛməɡɑɡ/ UK /ˈdɛməɡɒɡ/ See IPA manual

Freq #70642

Meanings

1

noun
a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices

The demagog was known to incite petty hatred.
2

verb
To speak or act in the manner of a demagogue; to speak about (an issue) in the manner of a demagogue.

C. 1938, Maury Maverick, The New York Times, quoted in 1970, Richard B. Henderson, Maury Maverick: A Political Biography, page 183, I never demagogued on our serious questions and stood for civil liberties.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms demagocracydemagogicdemagogicaldemagogismdemagogracydemagoguerydemagogy

Related forms galactagogueochlagoguepedagoguesynagogue

Simplified etymology

Demagogue entered English in the mid-17th century and goes back to Greek elements meaning ‘leader of the people’: demos ‘the people’ and agogos ‘leading’. The first element also appears in democracy.

Etymology

From Middle French démagogue, from Ancient Greek δημαγωγός (dēmagōgós, “popular leader, mob leader”), from δῆμος (dêmos, “people”) + ἀγωγός (agōgós, “guide”). By surface analysis, dem- + -agogue.

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# demagogue

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɛməɡɑɡ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdɛməɡɒɡ/
**Frequency rank:** 70642

## Meanings
1. a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices
2. To speak or act in the manner of a demagogue; to speak about (an issue) in the manner of a demagogue.

## Examples
- The demagog was known to incite petty hatred.
- C. 1938, Maury Maverick, The New York Times, quoted in 1970, Richard B. Henderson, Maury Maverick: A Political Biography, page 183, I never demagogued on our serious questions and stood for civil liberties.

## Derived Forms
- demagocracy
- demagogic
- demagogical
- demagogism
- demagogracy
- demagoguery
- demagogy

## Related Forms
- galactagogue
- ochlagogue
- pedagogue
- synagogue

## Etymology
From Middle French démagogue, from Ancient Greek δημαγωγός (dēmagōgós, “popular leader, mob leader”), from δῆμος (dêmos, “people”) + ἀγωγός (agōgós, “guide”). By surface analysis, dem- + -agogue.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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