Skip to main content
bandwagon jumper

bandwagon jumper

8.0
A person who quickly joins whatever is popular to fit in
  • noun
  • /ˈbændˌwæɡən ˈdʒʌmpər/
  • Offensive
translation icon : oportunista
  • As a bandwagon jumper, she quickly shifted her loyalty from one celebrity to another.

Examples

  • Many people consider him a bandwagon jumper because he only supports popular teams.

  • So calmly provide evidence, please, and stop attacking those who are not CT bandwagon jumpers.

    Blog text (28)
  • I am not being a bandwagon jumper here.

    Blog text (14)
  • I don't have any respect for bandwagon jumpers.

    Blog text (12)
  • She often changes her opinions to fit in with popular trends, making her a bandwagon jumper.

Synonyms

faddist
vsbandwagon jumper
1 9.0

A person who follows things like fashion or diets that are popular for a short time

switches support frequently to follow what is popular
shapeshifter
vsbandwagon jumper
1 8.6

A person who often changes their opinions or public image to fit different situations

switches support mainly to whatever is currently popular

Antonyms

42 4.8

A person who supports a government, leader, or cause during a revolt

A person who stays loyal to a cause or someone even when it is difficult

How Loyal

devotee
25 6.0
supporter
817 1.0
fair-weather fan
  • Informal
1 7.4
bandwagon jumper
  • Offensive
8.0
opportunist
27 5.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

bandwagon + jumper

The meaning is directly built from 'bandwagon' (a fashionable cause) plus an agentive 'jumper' (one who jumps), so it denotes someone who 'jumps on the bandwagon' — i.e., follows whatever is popular. The compound follows regular English word-formation and compositional logic, so a learner who knows the constituent words can readily infer this meaning.

Etymology

The phrase bandwagon jumper comes from old parades where a bandwagon was a wagon with a music band and people would jump onto it to join the crowd. So, someone who 'jumps on the bandwagon' quickly joins whatever is popular, and a bandwagon jumper means 'a person who switches their support to whatever is popular'.