band-wagon

A colorful band-wagon rolls down the street during a parade.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A wagon carrying a band in a parade: Historically, "band-wagon" refers to a large, decorated vehicle used to transport a musical band in a procession or parade.
   • A popular cause or movement that attracts growing support: In figurative use, "band-wagon" means a trend, political campaign, or idea that gains increasing popularity and followers, often because it appears likely to succeed.

Usage Examples

• Literal meaning:
  • The marching band performed from the band-wagon during the parade. (A vehicle carrying a band in a procession.)
• Figurative meaning:
  • Many politicians jumped on the band-wagon of environmental reform. (They joined a popular movement that seemed likely to succeed.)
  • She refused to climb on the band-wagon of the latest fashion trend. (She avoided following a popular but temporary craze.)

Advanced Usage

• "to jump on the band-wagon": to join a popular activity or movement that is likely to succeed, often for personal gain or to avoid being left out.

  • After the company’s success, many investors jumped on the band-wagon. (They started investing because it was already popular and profitable.)

• "to be on the band-wagon": to have already joined a successful or popular cause.

  • He is on the band-wagon of supporting renewable energy now that it is widely accepted. (He supports it because it is a mainstream trend.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bandwagon (n): a single-word spelling variant of "band-wagon," used interchangeably in modern English.

  • The bandwagon effect describes how people adopt beliefs or behaviours because others are doing so. (The psychological phenomenon of joining a popular trend.)

• Bandwagoner (n): a person who joins a popular movement or supports a successful team only after it becomes popular.

  • He is a bandwagoner who only cheers for the team when they are winning. (A fair-weather supporter.)

Synonyms

• Trend: a general direction in which something is developing or changing.
• Fad: a temporary, intense enthusiasm for something.
• Crusade: a vigorous campaign for a cause, often with moral implications.

Related Idioms

• Climb on the band-wagon: to join a popular trend or movement.

  • Many companies climbed on the band-wagon of remote work during the pandemic. (They adopted it because it became widespread.)

• Jump on the band-wagon: same as "climb on the band-wagon," emphasising a quick decision to join.

  • After the movie’s success, everyone jumped on the band-wagon of watching it. (They joined the popular activity.)