demagogo

demagogue

noun deh-mah-GOH-goh Rare

Origin: Greek demagogos 'leader of the people', from demos + agogos.

Usage Note

Demagogo is always pejorative in Italian, denoting a politician who manipulates popular passions with empty promises. The plural is demagoghi (hard -g before -hi). The related noun is demagogia and the adjective demagogico. It is a formal/journalistic term rarely used in casual speech.

Examples

"Lo accusano di essere un demagogo pericoloso."

Natural Translation

They accuse him of being a dangerous demagogue.

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