drinks the Kool-Aid

Swallows the propaganda

To drink the Kool-Aid means to accept an idea, belief, or group's ideology uncritically and with excessive enthusiasm.

The phrase alludes to the 1978 Jonestown massacre, where cult members died after drinking poisoned flavor-aid at their leader's direction.

Someone who drinks the Kool-Aid has bought into something completely, often abandoning independent judgment.

After a week at the corporate retreat, he'd really drunk the Kool-Aid.

The expression usually carries a skeptical or mocking tone toward the believer.

Related
  • buy inAgreement to participate
  • all inFully committed, nothing reserved
  • zealotryExcessive devotion to beliefs
  • dogmaUnchallengeable official beliefs
  • party lineOfficial political position

echo chamber · brainwashing · herd mentality · follow the leader · extremism · toe the line · fall in line · sectarianism · indoctrination · Jonestown · cult of personality · true believer · jump on the bandwagon · propaganda · mob psychology · ideological purity · go along to get along · utopianism

Opposites
belief and credulity

drinks the Kool-Aidskeptic

One who doubts claims

doubter · cynic · disbeliever · incredulous · smells a rat

critical thinking

drinks the Kool-Aidfact-checks

Verifies accuracy of claims

Family

drink, drinks, drinking, drinker, drinkers, drinkable, cooled, cooling

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Mostly American · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG