Meanings
plural Zeligs
- An ordinary person who can change their appearance or behavior to suit their surroundings, especially one who is unexpectedly associated with important events or people.First known use 1980s
Synonyms: chameleon
- An unimportant person who appears at multiple important events.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn ordinary person who can change their appearance or behavior to suit their surroundings, especially one who is unexpectedly associated with important events or people.
Origin
From the surname of the character Leonard Zelig from the 1983 film Zelig who meets many famous people in the 1920s and 1930s and, apparently out of his desire to fit in and be liked, unwittingly takes on the characteristics of the strong personalities around him.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish Zelig
- Zeligunimportant person who appears at multiple important events
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with Zelig
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
Zelig. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Zelig
“Zelig.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Zelig. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Zelig,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Zelig.
Source: Zelig on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.