Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Demagogic: Relating to or characteristic of a demagogue; using popular prejudices, false claims, and promises in order to gain power or popularity. It describes rhetoric, policies, or actions designed to appeal to the emotions and instincts of the ordinary people in a manipulative way.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Những lời hứa đó hoàn toàn mang tính chất mị dân. (Those promises are entirely demagogic.)
  • Họ chỉ trích chính sách mị dân của đối thủ. (They criticized the demagogic policies of their opponent.)
  • Đó là một chiến dịch mị dân nhằm thu hút phiếu bầu. (That was a demagogic campaign to attract votes.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in political and social commentary to criticize actions or speech perceived as insincerely pandering to the masses.

Variants and Related Words

• Kẻ mị dân (n): A demagogue; a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument.

  • Ông ta bị coi là một kẻ mị dân nguy hiểm. (He is considered a dangerous demagogue.)

• Sự mị dân (n): Demagogy; the practice of appealing to people's emotions and prejudices to gain power.

  • Sự mị dân có thể làm suy yếu nền dân chủ. (Demagogy can weaken democracy.)

Synonyms

• Demagogic: Pertaining to demagogy.
• Populist (in a pejorative sense): Seeking to represent the interests of ordinary people, often by oversimplifying issues or making emotive appeals. (Note: "Populist" can be neutral, but "mị dân" is always negative.)
• Pandering: Gratifying or indulging a desire or need in a manipulative way.

Related Idioms

• While there is no direct idiom with "mị dân," the concept is central to phrases like:
  • Nịnh dân, theo đuôi dân: To flatter the people, to follow the tail of the people (i.e., to pander to the populace). This is often used as an explanatory phrase for "mị dân."

adj

1. demagogic