lemming
lemming Lexical Profile
lemming Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who unthinkingly joins a mass movement or blindly follows others, often leading to their own detriment or destruction.
"Many novice investors behaved like lemmings, rushing to buy the overvalued stock just before the market completely crashed."
A small, short-tailed rodent native to Arctic and subarctic tundra, known for its cyclic population booms and large-scale migrations.
"The snowy owl relies heavily on the lemming as a primary food source during the harsh winter months."
• Rhymes for lemming
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Norwegian 'lemen', derived from Old Norse 'lómundr'. The metaphorical sense of blindly following others into disaster stems from a popular, though scientifically inaccurate, myth that lemmings commit mass suicide during migrations.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.