noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈdɛməɡɑɡ/
General-American:/ˈdɛməɡɔɡ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈdɛməɡɒɡ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D EH1 M AH0 G AA2 G
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A political orator or leader, especially in a democratic system, who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory
Examples
1938, O'Neill, translating The Knights by Aristophanes, 424 BC, lines 191-193, A demagogue must be neither an educated nor an honest man; he has to be an ignoramus and a rogue.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A leader of the people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To speak or act in the manner of a demagogue; to speak about (an issue) in the manner of a demagogue.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, transitive
Examples
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.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: demagog, rabble-rouser
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: politician, politico, pol, political leader
History
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.
Across languages
Translations
69 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
demagog
— (historical) a leader of the people
Czech:
demagog
— (historical) a leader of the people
Danish:
demagog
— (historical) a leader of the people
Dutch:
demagoog
— (historical) a leader of the people
Dutch:
volksleider
— (historical) a leader of the people
Finnish:
kansanjohtaja
— (historical) a leader of the people
French:
démagogue
— (historical) a leader of the people
German:
Führer
— (historical) a leader of the people
Greek:
δημαγωγός
(dimagogós)
— (historical) a leader of the people
Ancient Greek:
δημαγωγός
(dēmagōgós)
— (historical) a leader of the people
Hungarian:
demagóg
— (historical) a leader of the people
Italian:
duce
— (historical) a leader of the people
Norwegian:
folkeleder
— (historical) a leader of the people
Russian:
вождь
(voždʹ)
— (historical) a leader of the people
Scottish Gaelic:
ceannard gràisge
— (historical) a leader of the people
Swedish:
folkledare
— (historical) a leader of the people
Arabic:
زَعِيم الدهماء
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Arabic:
دَهْمَاوِيّ
(dahmāwiyy)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Azerbaijani:
demaqoq
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Bulgarian:
демаго́г
(demagóg)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Catalan:
demagog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Chinese Mandarin:
煽動者 /煽动者
(shāndòngzhě)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Czech:
demagog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Danish:
demagog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Danish:
folkeforfører
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Dutch:
demagoog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Dutch:
volksmenner
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Dutch:
volksopruier
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Esperanto:
demagogo
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Estonian:
demagoog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Finnish:
demagogi
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Finnish:
kansankiihottaja
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Finnish:
palopuhuja
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
French:
démagogue
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Galician:
demagogo
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Galician:
demagoga
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Georgian:
დემაგოგი
(demagogi)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
German:
Demagoge
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
German:
Demagogin
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Greek:
δημαγωγός
(dimagogós)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Ancient Greek:
δημαγωγός
(dēmagōgós)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Hungarian:
demagóg
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Ido:
demagogo
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Indonesian:
demagog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Italian:
demagogo
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Japanese:
扇動
(sendō)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Korean:
선동 정치가
(seondong jeongchiga)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Korean:
군중 지도자
(gunjung jidoja)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Macedonian:
демаго́г
(demagóg)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Norwegian Bokmål:
demagog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Norwegian Nynorsk:
demagog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Polish:
demagog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Portuguese:
demagogo
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Romanian:
demagog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Romanian:
demagogă
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Russian:
демаго́г
(demagóg)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Scottish Gaelic:
ceannard gràisge
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Spanish:
demagogo
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Swedish:
demagog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Thai:
ผู้นําฝูงชน
(p̄hū̂nả f̄ūng chn)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Turkish:
demagog
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Ukrainian:
демаго́г
(demahóh)
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Vietnamese:
nịnh dân
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Vietnamese:
người mị dân
— (pejorative) a political orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience rather than by using rational argument
Dutch:
volksmennen
— speak or act in the manner of a demagogue
Dutch:
demagogie bedrijven
— speak or act in the manner of a demagogue
Dutch:
demagogie gebruiken
— speak or act in the manner of a demagogue
Finnish:
paasata
— speak or act in the manner of a demagogue
Greek:
δημαγωγώ
(dimagogó)
— speak or act in the manner of a demagogue
