bandwagon

English

Band on a bandwagon

Etymology

From band +‎ wagon, 1855.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈbændˌwæɡ.ən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

bandwagon (plural bandwagons)

1. A large wagon used to carry a band of musicians in a parade.
2. (figuratively) A current movement that attracts wide support.
   • 2025 February 19, Christian Wolmar, “Reeves talks of 'growth' but pays lip service to the railway”, in RAIL, number 1029, page 35:

     Specifically, and unforgivably, she restarted the Heathrow Third Runway bandwagon, which had been stalled for more than a decade and even declared dead by most commentators.

Derived terms

• bandwagon effect
• bandwagoner
• bandwagon fallacy
• bandwagon fan
• bandwagoning
• bandwagonism
• brandwagon
• climb on the bandwagon
• jump on the bandwagon

Translations

Large wagon to carry a band

• Finnish: paraativaunu
• German: Musikantenwagen m
• Polish: platforma (pl)
• Portuguese: trio elétrico m
• Turkish: bando arabası

(figuratively) Current movement that attracts wide support

• Finnish: kelkka (fi), villitys (fi)
• German: erfolgreiche Partei (de) f, erfolgreiche Seite (de) f
• Spanish: tren del mame m
• Turkish: çoğunluk partisi, grup vagon

See also

• hype train