lemming

/ˈlɛmɪŋ/
noun
  1. A small, short-tailed rodent found in the Arctic, known for periodic mass migrations.
    • We spotted a lemming near the edge of the melting snow.
    • The lemming scurried across the tundra looking for food.
    • During the summer, lemmings are active and breed rapidly.
  2. A person who follows others blindly, especially into a dangerous or foolish situation, based on the myth that lemmings jump off cliffs en masse.
    • Don't be a lemming and invest in that scam just because your friends did.
    • The protesters accused the politicians of being lemmings following the party line.
    • He warned that the company's strategy would turn employees into lemmings heading for disaster.
Synonyms