misanthropy

noun

mis·​an·​thro·​py mi-ˈsan(t)-thrə-pē How to pronounce misanthropy (audio)
: a hatred or distrust of humankind

Examples of misanthropy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And in 2024, as the show airs its final episodes, the misanthropy Curb radiates has never felt more timely. TIME, 2 Feb. 2024 Larry David is back for one last blast of hilarious, unrepentant misanthropy in the official trailer for the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2024 An arc about William gradually shaking off his youthful misanthropy and coming to accept his fate as a future monarch is about as engaging as the post-Diana episodes get. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2023 The author does expose how a movement that is nominally about eschewing wealth in the name of helping humanity devolved into greed and misanthropy. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 6 Oct. 2023 The titular protagonist of Clowes’s new graphic novel, Monica, is a woman defined not by defensive misanthropy but by a flinty resilience that propels her to find real meaning in her life. Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2023 But there’s a method to the misanthropy, a gloomy, compelling depth to their vivid roadman tales of poverty and unease. Pitchfork, 28 Sep. 2023 That’s the trendy essence of the new misanthropy now rampant throughout British and American public service and phony class dramas such as TV’s Succession. Armond White, National Review, 12 July 2023 In Happy-Go-Lucky, David Sedaris once again captures what is most unexpected, hilarious, and poignant about these recent upheavals, personal and public, and expresses in precise language both the misanthropy and desire for connection that drive us all. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 20 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misanthropy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misanthropy was in 1625

Dictionary Entries Near misanthropy

Cite this Entry

“Misanthropy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misanthropy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

misanthropy

noun
mis·​an·​thro·​py mis-ˈan(t)-thrə-pē How to pronounce misanthropy (audio)
: a dislike or hatred of all human beings
misanthropic
ˌmis-ᵊn-ˈthräp-ik
adjective
misanthropically
-ˈthräp-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb

Medical Definition

misanthropy

noun
mis·​an·​thro·​py mis-ˈan(t)-thrə-pē How to pronounce misanthropy (audio)
plural misanthropies
: a hatred or distrust of humankind

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