pied piper

noun

often capitalized both Ps
1
: one that offers strong but delusive enticement
2
: a leader who makes irresponsible promises
3
: a charismatic person who attracts followers

Examples of pied piper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
With his entourage of ballers and video vixens, his retinue of security, his talent for curation, Puff was the ringmaster of relevancy, the pied piper of fun and the force at the very center of cultural power. Amy Dubois Barnett, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Oct. 2024 Perhaps Cohen can meme-stock GameStop’s way out of its fight to survive once more, but with all his miscues and baggage piling up, the pied piper’s magic seems to be wearing thin. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2024 As the final 90 seconds ticked off the scoreboard at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday night, Ravens veteran wide receiver and pied piper Odell Beckham Jr. pulled Zay Flowers in close. Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 28 Jan. 2024 The West must fight in court, in neighborhoods, and in compulsory programs that separate young people who have not yet committed serious offenses from ISIS’ pied pipers. Jytte Klausen, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2015 See all Example Sentences for pied piper 

Word History

Etymology

the Pied Piper, hero of a German folktale who charmed the rats of Hameln, Germany, into a river

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pied piper was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near pied piper

Cite this Entry

“Pied piper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pied%20piper. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

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