Tagalong

A 'tagalong' refers to a person, typically a child or young person, who follows or accompanies a group, often without being specifically invited or planned for. They are present as an extra, often uninvited, participant in activities. The term implies a sense of being in tow or a follower, and their presence might not always be entirely welcome or essential to the original plans. The implication can range from harmless and endearing, as in the case of a younger sibling, to somewhat disruptive, depending on the context and the attitude of the people being followed. It is a more informal term and describes someone who is simply present, or following a specific group.

Tagalong meaning with examples

• Little Timmy was always the tagalong on his older brother's adventures. He'd eagerly follow them to the park, even though they'd often try to get away from him, and get into the club. Despite their frustrations, the older boys secretly enjoyed having him around. He brought some fun and made the outings memorable.
• Sarah was a bit of a tagalong during her cousin's camping trip. She insisted on coming, even though the trip was planned for the teenagers and she wasn't included. She was very excited. Although sometimes getting in the way of their activities, she eventually found her own activities and managed to entertain herself while still being along for the trip.
• During the family holiday, their youngest child was the inevitable tagalong on any group outings. He was always excited about everything, making the day more challenging at times. He would cling to everyone, and the parent would spend their day attempting to herd him around. He made for some great photos too.
• At the office, the intern felt like a tagalong during the important meetings. She was new to everything, and the information would go over her head. Assigned tasks weren't very demanding, and she felt somewhat isolated. Although the others tried to integrate her, she was just too young to understand how they thought or what they thought about.
• The stray dog became a tagalong to the hiking group. It started following them on their weekend hikes. It seemed very grateful. The hikers offered it water and food. At first they were annoyed by it, and they eventually warmed to it, and adopted the dog as a member of the team.