Luddite
3 synonyms and 2 antonyms for Luddite, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A person who is opposed to new technology, or who is unwilling or unable to use it.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
early adopter
technophile
How to use Luddite
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a bit of a Luddite
Luddite tendencies
neo-Luddite
dismissed as a Luddite
Neutral to mildly derogatory; often used self-deprecatingly.
Etymology
From the name Ned Ludd, a figure invoked (and probably legendary) as the leader of the English machine-breakers of the 1810s.
Full origin of Luddite →Frequently asked questions
Is calling someone a Luddite an insult?
It usually is, implying they are stubbornly behind the times. People do apply it to themselves light-heartedly, though, as a way of admitting they are not confident with technology.
What did the original Luddites actually want?
They were skilled textile workers protesting at machines being used to undercut their wages and produce cheaper, poorer goods. Their objection was to how the technology was being used against them, not to machinery in principle — which is why the modern sense of the word is often called a distortion.
Is Luddite capitalised?
The historical sense is always capitalised because it derives from a name. The general "technophobe" sense is written both with and without a capital, though the capital remains more common.
