Zelig

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Zelig

/ˈzɛlɪɡ/ US, UK

Rhymes with -ɛlɪɡ

Where it comes from

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.

noun 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.
Similar: chameleon
An unimportant person who appears at multiple important events.

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MLA

"Zelig." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/zelig. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

Zelig. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/zelig

Chicago

"Zelig." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/zelig.

BibTeX

@misc{zelig_2026,
  title = {Zelig},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/zelig},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}