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”).

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The franchise, which now includes Insecure’s Dayna Lynne North as a showrunner, has shed some of its overt misogyny by giving the women in this friend group meatier plotlines. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2022

Twitter account was reinstated in late November after Elon Musk lifted a five-year ban put in place largely due to the kickboxer-turned-internet personality’s excessive and often violent misogyny. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Dec. 2022

The conversations around Don't Worry Darling do feel different though, and much of it has to do with good old misogyny. —Katherine Singh, refinery29.com, 26 Sep. 2022

My Dark Vanessa––by centering on a vulnerable young woman’s relationship with an abusive man, and extrapolating the nuances of that relationship as broader indications of modern misogyny. —Ella Fox-martens, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2022

The attack also rekindled debate about violence against women and gender inequality in China, which critics contend remains a highly patriarchal society with pervasive misogyny despite growing awareness of gender issues among young women. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 13 June 2022

What most activates Dunn’s rage is the misogyny that only deepened amid all the pretended freedoms of the counterculture. —Sam Sacks, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022

But the duo largely remains in their comfort zone, which can have a numbing effect (and can lead to undesirable crutches, as when the record slips into casual misogyny). —Alex Swhear, Variety, 4 Nov. 2022

Lauren, the creator who was harassed for criticizing the casual misogyny in content about the trial, has been inactive on TikTok since. —Morgan Sung, NBC News, 3 June 2022

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Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above