sheeple
noun/ˈʃiːpəl/
Etymology Blend of sheep (“likened to sheep in a herd that follow without independent thought”) + people.
1
Derogatory, Slang People who are perceived as conforming unquestioningly to authority or mainstream beliefs.
- War protesters . . . did appear along Mr. Rumsfeld's path carrying signs saying "Bush is a Liar" and "Wake Up, Sheeple".2005 September 11, Glen Justice, John Files, “Commemoration or Promotion? Walk Highlights Iraq Divide”, in New York Times, retrieved 21 Aug 2014:
- [F]ormer MP Garth Turner’s new book . . . is entitled Sheeple, a term apparently applied to people who often take on the characteristics—curly white hair covering most of the body, fondness for grazing, tendency to do as told—of sheep.2009 August 27, Aaron Wherry, “The Commons: You bore us, Mr. Ignatieff”, in Macleans, Canada, retrieved 21 Aug 2014:
4 more examples
- Harmless vapour trails left by planes? That's what they want you to think, sheeple.2010 August 20, Richard Adams, “The American far-right's top 10 paranoid conspiracy theories (photo caption)”, in Guardian, UK, retrieved 21 Aug 2014:
- He'll take himself down. Yeah, history always proves that, right? Just wait for justice, you sheeple…2016, Life Is Strange, spoken by Luke (Nik Shriner), Square Enix, via Dontnod Entertainment:
- Being a sheeple isn't always dangerous. A lot of the time it can just make a person look foolish, more than anything.Kaitlyn S. C. Hatch, Wise at Any Age (page 10)
- I think it's the HYDRA, the group of whatevers that rule the world, those elitists that laugh at us, joke about their environmentalist sheeples doing their bidding while they sip the best wine on the planet, ride around in private jets, […]2011, Carol Ann Lindsay, The Planet of Comet Sense, page 55:
- Derived terms
- wake up sheeple
- Related terms
- groupthink, obsequious, yes-man