gadfly

noun

gad·​fly ˈgad-ˌflī How to pronounce gadfly (audio)
1
: any of various flies (such as a horsefly, botfly, or warble fly) that bite or annoy livestock
2
: a person who stimulates or annoys other people especially by persistent criticism
a political gadfly

Did you know?

The Gadfly of Athens

It's easy to guess what puts the fly in gadfly: in its oldest meaning, fly refers to a winged insect. But (gadzooks!) what about the gad? As a standalone English word, gad means "chisel," but it once could be used for a spike, spear, or rod for goading cattle. It was in the 16th century that gad was joined with fly to refer to any of several insects that bother livestock. Before too long, English speakers began applying gadfly to people who annoy or provoke others. One of history's most famous gadflies was the philosopher Socrates, who was known for his constant questioning of his fellow Athenians' ethics, misconceptions, and assumptions. In his Apology, Plato describes Socrates' characterization of Athens as a large and sluggish horse and of Socrates himself as the fly that bites and rouses it. Many translations use gadfly in this portion of the Apology, and Socrates is sometimes referred to as the "gadfly of Athens."

Examples of gadfly in a Sentence

the journalist was known as a gadfly for exposing hypocrisy in politics
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.
Listening to activist investors can be a chore for many management teams and boards, who tend to think of activists as massive distractions taking them away from the business of actually running their enterprises or attention-hungry gadflies who merely take credit for changes already underway. Owen Tripp, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024 Beforehand, we’re treated to comic gadfly Robert Benchley traversing the studio lot. Josh Spiegel, Vulture, 24 July 2024 Meenakshi Ahamed, the author of a forthcoming book on Indian Americans, notes that many prominent figures—Indra Nooyi, the former C.E.O. of PepsiCo; Vivek Ramaswamy, the conservative gadfly—have Brahman heritage. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024 In Troy, a newcomer – an outspoken gadfly in city meetings – narrowly lost his bid for a City Council seat. Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 7 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gadfly 

Word History

Etymology

gad entry 1 + fly entry 4

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gadfly was in 1569

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near gadfly

Cite this Entry

“Gadfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gadfly. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

gadfly

noun
gad·​fly ˈgad-ˌflī How to pronounce gadfly (audio)
1
: any of various flies (as a horsefly or botfly) that are pests especially of livestock
2
: a person who annoys others especially by persistent criticism

Medical Definition

gadfly

noun
gad·​fly ˈgad-ˌflī How to pronounce gadfly (audio)
plural gadflies
: any of various flies (as a horsefly, botfly, or warble fly) that bite or annoy livestock

More from Merriam-Webster on gadfly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!