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demagogue

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The definition of a demagogue is a leader who plays to peoples' emotions and uses prejudices to gain power.

(noun)

An example of a demagogue is Joseph Stalin.

See demagogue in Webster's New World College Dictionary

or demagog

noun

Obsolete a leader of the common people
a person who tries to stir up the people by appeals to emotion, prejudice, etc. in order to win them over quickly and so gain power

Origin: < Gr dēmagōgos, leader of the people < dēmos, the people (see democracy) + agōgos, leader < agein, to lead: see act

intransitive verb demagogued or demagoged, demagoguing or demagoging

to behave as a demagogue

See demagogue in American Heritage Dictionary 4

also dem·a·gog

noun

A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace.
A leader of the common people in ancient times.

transitive verb dem·a·gogued also dem·a·goged, dem·a·gogu·ing also dem·a·go·ging, dem·a·gogues also dem·a·gogs

Usage Problem To speak about (an issue, for example) in the manner of a demagogue.

Origin:

Origin: Greek dēmagōgos, popular leader

Origin: : dēmos, people; see dā- in Indo-European roots

Origin: + agōgos, leading (from agein, to lead; see ag- in Indo-European roots)

Usage Note: Among the nouns that the Usage Panel is loath to see used as a verb is demagogue, meaning “to speak about something in the manner of a demagogue.” Ninety-four percent reject it in the sentence The President will demagogue Medicare, unwilling to acknowledge that fundamental reforms need to be made. Resistance to the use of traditional nouns as verbs is sometimes strong, especially when the novel usages are associated with business or bureaucratic jargon.

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