bandwagon

IPA/ˈbændwæɡən/
KK[bˈændwˌæɡən]IPA/ˈbændwæɡən/

bandwagon — noun

  • bandwagonsingular
  • bandwagonsplural

1. a trend, group, or cause that is suddenly winning lots of attention, so people s

1.nounC1
Definition

a trend, group, or cause that is suddenly winning lots of attention, so people start to support or copy it just because everyone else is doing the same.

Example

When the K-pop bandwagon reached our school, half my classmates started learning Korean overnight.

the [topic] bandwagon — fashionable trend pattern

Once the electric car bandwagon got moving, every major maker rushed to launch a new model.

the [trend] bandwagon got moving — collocation

Common collocations
  • jump on the bandwagon
  • climb on the bandwagon
  • start a bandwagon
  • the [topic] bandwagon
Synonyms
  • craze

    stronger, more excited tone; usually short-lived

  • trend

    neutral and broader; not always tied to copying others

  • fad

    implies something silly that will pass quickly

Grammar Patterns

the bandwagon

jump on the bandwagon

Usage Note

Almost always appears with the definite article (the bandwagon) or in fixed phrases such as jump on / climb on / start a bandwagon. Rarely used alone in the plural.

Common Mistakes

I joined to the bandwagon last year.
I jumped on the bandwagon last year.
the fixed verb is jump/climb on, not join to.
There were many bandwagons in the 90s.
There were many trends in the 90s.
bandwagon is usually singular and refers to one specific wave of popularity.
Idioms

jump on the bandwagon

idiom

to begin doing or supporting something only after it has become popular, often hoping to gain success or attention for yourself.

When yoga studios started making big money, every gym in town jumped on the bandwagon.

Critics said the senator only jumped on the climate bandwagon once polls showed voters cared.

climb/jump on the bandwagon

idiom

To start doing something that many people are doing because it is popular and you want to be part of it.

After the team won the championship, many fans jumped on the bandwagon.

Maya climbed on the bandwagon of using reusable bags after her friends did.

Word family

  • bandwagon effect
    noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe something that becomes popular, but they differ in tone and length. A trend is the neutral, general term — it can describe slow shifts in fashion, technology, or behaviour over years. A craze is shorter, more emotional, and often involves obvious excitement (a dance craze, a fitness craze). A fad sounds slightly negative; the speaker usually thinks it is silly and will disappear soon (a diet fad). Bandwagon is special because it focuses on the followers, not the thing itself — it pictures a group of people rushing to join because everyone else is. Compare: 'Jogging became a craze in the 1980s' (excited mood) versus 'Politicians jumped on the jogging bandwagon to look healthy' (criticising copycats).

bandwagon ↗craze ↗fad ↗trend ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bandwagon effect

Phrases

Prepositions

  • on the bandwagon

Etymology

English (American)

Bandwagon literally meant the large, decorated wagon that carried a band of musicians at the front of a circus parade or political rally in 19th-century America. Crowds would chase the music, and politicians soon noticed that supporters liked to climb up onto the moving wagon to be seen with the winning side. By the late 1800s, 'jump on the bandwagon' had become a metaphor for joining whichever cause looked likely to succeed, and the figurative meaning slowly took over from the literal one.