demagogued
Inflamed public passions
Demagogued is the past tense of demagogue, meaning to manipulate people through emotional appeals, prejudice, or false promises rather than reasoned argument.
Politicians demagogue issues by exploiting fears and resentments: He demagogued immigration to win votes.
The word implies cynical manipulation of public sentiment for personal gain.
Politics favoring ordinary citizens
- rhetoricArt of persuasive language
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- incitedUrged toward action
- exploitedUnfairly utilized for benefit
rallied · fearmongered · scapegoated · pandered · inflamed · campaigned · electioneered · rabble-roused
Tending to provoke outrage
- sensationalizedMade more shocking than warranted
- exaggeratedMade larger than reality
- oversimplifiedMade misleadingly basic
- distortedMisshapen from original form
misrepresented · vilified · demonized · provoked · emotionalized · dramatized · twisted · spun
populism
Politics favoring ordinary citizens
- rhetoricArt of persuasive language
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- incitedUrged toward action
exploited · rallied · fearmongered · scapegoated · pandered · inflamed · campaigned · electioneered · rabble-roused · polarized
inflammatory
Tending to provoke outrage
- sensationalizedMade more shocking than warranted
- exaggeratedMade larger than reality
- oversimplifiedMade misleadingly basic
distorted · misrepresented · vilified · demonized · provoked · emotionalized · dramatized · twisted · spun · ranted
smeared
Spread carelessly across
scapegoated · maligned · slandered · defamed · libeled · impugned · disparaged · accused · condemned · castigated