the masses

Idioms and Phrases

The body of common people, or people of low socioeconomic status, as in TV sitcoms are designed to appeal to the masses . This idiom is nearly always used in a snobbish context that puts down the taste, intelligence, or some other quality of the majority of people. W.S. Gilbert satirized this view in the peers' march in Iolanthe (1882), in which the lower-middle class and the masses are ordered to bow down before the peers. Prime Minister William Gladstone took a different view (Speech, 1886): “All the world over, I will back the masses against the [upper] classes.” [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

The aim of these chemtrails is either vaccinating the population, spreading pandemics of controlling the minds of the masses, the conspiracy theories go on to claim.

From BBC

For more than a year, Bluesky has been the boat for left-leaning Twitter refugees who were so fed up with Musk that they beat the masses in deciding not to stick around on his platform.

From Slate

In those shows, multimillionaires and billionaires adopt this style of “quiet luxury,” defined by Vogue as “a look that will stand the test of time, as it’s essentially a synonym for elevated basics,” in order to subtly express their status among others in their peer group, but otherwise retain the freedom to blend in among the masses.

From Salon

The company said it is working on strategies to make things more fair and to better manage the masses at its U.S. stores on product launch days.

From Los Angeles Times

Hernández was still hyped up on Friday’s parade when he rolled up to meet the masses of fans.

From Los Angeles Times