gadfly
Americannoun
plural
gadflies-
any of various flies, fly, as a stable fly or warble fly, that bite or annoy domestic animals.
-
a person who persistently annoys or provokes others with criticism, schemes, ideas, demands, requests, etc.
noun
-
any of various large dipterous flies, esp the horsefly, that annoy livestock by sucking their blood
-
a constantly irritating or harassing person
Usage
What does gadfly mean? A gadfly is a person who’s always hanging around and annoying people with criticism, demands, and questions. Basically, the kind of person you want to shoo away like a biting insect. Speaking of which ...The literal meaning of gadfly refers to any of several types of flies (such as stable flies or warble flies) that are known for pestering livestock by biting them and sucking their blood.Example: Don’t mind him—he’s just a gadfly who comes to every council meeting to request that the town pay to put a trampoline park in his backyard.
Etymology
Origin of gadfly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A gadfly candidate for mayor of Chicago, Lar Daly, secured a quirky FCC ruling.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
The publication was founded in 1955 by the legendary gadfly William F. Buckley Jr. as a salon for the various right-leaning fraternities in American life: fire-eating libertarians, orthodox Catholics, conspiratorial anti-communists.
From Slate • Apr. 25, 2025
For decades, he also relished his role as a brutally insulting critic — sometimes of the bands he worked with — and a gadfly who pushed uncomfortable buttons about race, politics and sex.
From New York Times • May 14, 2024
“These characters who flit in and out .... are mostly there to be disruptive. They enjoy it.” said Eric Preven, a gadfly whose running commentary is pointed yet civil.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2023
In various court documents, judges described Cofield as a “con artist,” “no more than a gadfly and an exploiter of the court system,” and “the most litigious inmate in the system.”
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
