someone who is among the first to try out new products or methods
Grammar Patterns
a luddite
call someone a luddite
Common Mistakes
He is a luddite about cooking.
He is old-fashioned about cooking.
'Luddite' typically describes opposition to technology or workplace methods, not general personal habits.
Word family
Luddism
nounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
The words 'technophobe', 'traditionalist', and 'reactionary' all overlap with 'luddite' but differ in important ways. A luddite opposes new technology and working methods, often on principle. A technophobe fears or dislikes technology emotionally rather than opposing it on reasoned grounds. A traditionalist has a broader preference for established customs and lifestyles, not limited to technology — you can be a traditionalist about cooking or child-rearing without being a luddite. A reactionary is the most political of the group: someone who actively wants to reverse social changes and return to a previous era. So while every luddite might be called a traditionalist in the workplace, not every traditionalist is a luddite.
The word 'luddite' comes from Ned Ludd, a figure associated with a movement of English textile workers in the early 1800s. Fearing that new mechanized looms would destroy their jobs, these workers broke into factories and smashed the machines. Over time, the term broadened from describing these specific protesters to meaning anyone opposed to technological change, especially when it threatens traditional ways of working.