misogyny

noun

mi·​sog·​y·​ny mə-ˈsä-jə-nē 

: hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against women

a culture that promotes violence and misogyny

… battled the personal demons of alcoholism, racism, and misogyny.

—James Kaplan

Her books are pervaded by a deep pessimism and an equally profound misogyny.

—Janet Malcolm

… a mission to expose the common cord that nourishes capitalism, misogyny, classism, and fat hatred …

—Anastasia Higginbotham

also : something (such as speech or behavior) that reflects and fosters misogyny

Cosloy's suggestion for a solution to misogyny in song—women should make their own records!—is scurrilous as long as men are not ready to pass the mike.

—Evelyn McDonnell

Dr [Una] McIlvenna says misogyny has always been rife. "There's always been misogyny in news reporting, both victim-blaming and in the coverage of women who commit crimes."

—Lisa Needham

Did you know?

The (Etymological) Roots of Misogyny

Misogyny may be distinguished from the closely related word sexism, which signifies discrimination based on sex (although it most frequently refers to discrimination against women) and also carries the meaning “behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex.”

Misogyny refers specifically to a hatred of women. The word is formed from the Greek roots misein (“to hate”) and gynē (“woman”). Each of these roots can be found in other English words, both common and obscure. Gynē helped to form gynecologist and androgynous, and misein can be found in such words as misoneism (“a hatred, fear, or intolerance of innovation or change”) and misandry (“a hatred of men”).

Examples of misogyny in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While sexism is discrimination based on gender, misogyny refers specifically to hatred of women. —Rachel Hale, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025

From the January 2025 issue: Sophie Gilbert on how Donald Trump’s misogyny won’t just harm women Clinton tends to loom large in any discussion of female political ambition in this century, but there’s another woman whose rapid, turbulent ascent fittingly illustrates the cultural trends of this era. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025

The initial investigation in 2010 was stalled out, in part, due to a strain of misogyny that granted the police and Suffolk County government some laxness in their exploration of the case. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025

At a certain point, pinning down who is the subject and who is the object of the misogyny in this song becomes dizzying. —Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek misogynia, from misein to hate + gynē woman — more at queen

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above