demagogue

/ˈdeməɡɒɡ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdeməɡɑːɡ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈde-mə-ˌgäg/ (ame, mw)

demagoguesingular
demagoguesplural

1.名詞C1

釋義

煽動型政客

靠激起群眾情緒奪權的政治人物

a leader who builds power by stirring up the fears, anger, and prejudices of ordinary voters, instead of offering honest reasoning or fair policies

例句

Christopher warned his students that every generation must learn to spot a demagogue before voting.

Christopher 警告學生：每一代人在投票前都要學會辨認煽動型政客。

common collocation: spot/recognise a demagogue

The newspaper called the senator a dangerous demagogue who blamed jobless workers on foreign families.

報紙稱那位參議員是危險的煽動型政客，把失業工人的處境怪到外國家庭頭上。

pattern: call/label someone a demagogue

同義詞

rabble-rouser
more informal; emphasises stirring crowds rather than seeking office
agitator
broader — can be any cause, not necessarily a politician
populist
milder and sometimes neutral; not all populists are demagogues
firebrand
focuses on fiery rhetoric; doesn't always imply dishonesty

反義詞

statesman
implies thoughtful leadership and concern for long-term public good

文法句型

a/the demagogue

用法筆記

Subject is almost always a political figure (or aspiring one). Often appears in evaluative or critical sentences — neutral observers rarely use the word about themselves.

常見錯誤

❌My boss is such a demagogue when she pushes deadlines.

✅My boss is such a bully when she pushes deadlines.

💡'demagogue' is reserved for political leaders who exploit public emotion, not everyday domineering people.

❌The pop singer is a demagogue with millions of fans.

✅The pop singer is an idol with millions of fans.

💡popularity alone is not demagoguery; the term requires manipulation of fears or prejudices for political power.

demagoguepresent simple I / you / we / they
demagogues3rd person singular
demagoguing-ing form
demagoguedpast simple

1.動詞不及物C2

釋義

煽動民意

用激起群眾情緒的方式發言或行動

to speak or behave the way a demagogue does — playing on public fear or anger to win attention or support

例句

On the campaign trail, Walid accused his opponent of demagoguing whenever oil prices rose.

在競選途中，Walid 指控對手只要油價一漲就開始煽動民意。

common gerund/progressive form: 'demagoguing'

The talk show host began to demagogue the moment listeners called in about rising rent.

聽眾一打電話進來抱怨房租上漲，那位談話節目主持人就開始煽動民意。

同義詞

rabble-rouse
rare verb form; very similar meaning, slightly more informal
grandstand
showy public performance, but without the fear-stirring element

反義詞

reason with
appeal to thinking rather than feeling

文法句型

someone demagogues

用法筆記

Mostly American political commentary; British writers prefer the noun. The verb has a strongly negative tone — using it of someone is itself a criticism.

常見錯誤

❌Felix demagogued his cat for stealing food.

✅Felix shouted at his cat for stealing food.

💡the verb is restricted to political or public-discourse contexts, not private complaints.

❌Linh demagogued the crowd to vote yes.

✅Linh urged the crowd to vote yes.

💡neutral persuasion is not demagoguing; the verb implies emotional manipulation.

2.動詞及物C2

釋義

炒作議題

用激起情緒方式操弄公共議題

to handle a public topic — such as crime, immigration, or taxes — by exciting people's fears or anger about it, rather than discussing it calmly with facts

例句

Critics said Defne demagogued the immigration issue during her first debate by blaming border towns.

批評者表示，Defne 在第一場辯論時就拿邊境城鎮開刀，炒作移民議題。

object is a hot public topic: 'demagogue + immigration/crime/taxes/the issue'

Mayor Dario was accused of demagoguing rising crime to scare voters into giving him a second term.

Dario 市長被指控操弄日益嚴重的犯罪議題，藉此嚇選民讓他連任。

passive-like accusation pattern: 'accused of demagoguing X'

同義詞

exploit
broader; can apply to any advantage-taking, not only public emotion
inflame
focuses on making feelings hotter, often takes 'tensions' as object

反義詞

address (an issue)
deal with a topic seriously and factually

文法句型

demagogue + noun (issue/topic)

用法筆記

Distinguish from verb/1 by the presence of a direct object — verb/1 describes the manner of speaking in general; verb/2 names the topic being exploited. Object is almost always a contested public issue (crime, immigration, taxes, race).

常見錯誤

❌Ayesha demagogued her boss into giving her a raise.

✅Ayesha pressured her boss into giving her a raise.

💡the verb takes an issue or topic as object, not a person.

❌Bao demagogued the school play to make it popular.

✅Bao promoted the school play to make it popular.

💡the object must be a serious public issue, not a neutral event.

demagogue

demagogue — 名詞

1. a leader who builds power by stirring up the fears, anger, and prejudices of ord

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

demagogue — 動詞

1. to speak or behave the way a demagogue does — playing on public fear or anger to

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. to handle a public topic — such as crime, immigration, or taxes — by exciting pe

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤