1
: any of various small short-tailed furry-footed rodents (such as genera Lemmus and Dicrostonyx) of circumpolar distribution that are notable for population fluctuations and recurrent mass migrations
2
: one who mindlessly conforms to what others are doing or saying even if it is silly, harmful, etc.
… whenever something is really popular and you start doing it just as it becomes popular, you must ask yourself: Am I, too, a lemming?—Sarah Miller
lemminglike
adjective
Lured by stock prices defying gravity and handsome bond yields, Americans have marched into the funds in lemminglike fashion.
—Penelope Wang and David Pauly
Cite this Entry
“Lemming.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lemming. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
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