nihilist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of nihilistnext
as in nihilistic

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nihilist

2 of 2

noun

as in fatalist

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nihilist
Adjective
Advertisement Just as Nietzsche warned of the dangers of a nihilist moral void leading to societal decay, the current disregard for responsible data practices could erode trust in institutions and perpetuate systemic inequalities. — Alice Xiang, Time, 6 May 2026 Our impressively multicultural team of street racers now freelance in the shadowy and complex world of covert ops, jetting around the world to take down an increasingly unhinged array of nihilist supervillains. — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026 Shooter left notes, symbols, nihilist writings Investigators located the scene where the suspect sparked the fire to set his ambush. — Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026 Blood Meridian throws out the Western trope of good versus evil in favor of a nihilist view of a world consumed by violence. — Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026 Benjamin Voisin won Best Actor for his performance as the novel’s nihilist protagonist Meursault. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026 There’s no nihilist energy in the song. — David Browne, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
Life has beaten down Weisman’s Jake Levinson, once the radical front man of a bad Rage Against the Machine clone, into a dead-eyed nihilist. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 As criminal cases have increased against members of violent nihilist groups, related abuse reports have also risen. — Curt Devine, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026 Sirāt was the only Neon contender to miss out on a Best Picture spot at the Globes (its noms came in Non-English Language and Score), adding to the feeling that this nihilist epic is the title most at risk of missing with Oscar. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025 The activist Left is, in truth, nihilist. — Ayaan Hirsi Ali, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nihilist
  1. nihilistic
  2. fatalist
  3. cynical
  4. cynic
  5. fatalistic
  6. realist
  7. pragmatist
Adjective
  • What comes off as cavalier risk-taking is really a cover for something much more nihilistic.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Swatting is just one criminal element associated with 764, which federal authorities have characterized as a network of nihilistic violent extremists.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of nihilistic
Noun
  • But the fatalist in me feels like this stuff is coming.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
Definition of fatalist
Adjective
  • Unauthorized sequels reveal the extremes of why people make movies in the first place, from purely cynical money grabs to pure — even naive — devotion to characters and their world.
    — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, an irritable, cynical weatherman sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to report a story about the town’s quaint groundhog ceremony.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of cynical
Noun
  • That the earnestness the genre requires galls us cynics, who love to hide in our books, away from all those pesky bodies in the first place?
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Questions about whose interests Infantino is serving have developed beyond average cynics who tend to suspect this type of thing.
    — Simon Hughes, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of cynic
Adjective
  • With its fourth chapter, Reacher goes full neo-noir, embracing the genre’s fatalistic, gloomy approach while staying true to its action roots.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The mystery character, played by Sadie Sink, is also dealing with her own demons of loss and fatalistic desperation.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of fatalistic
Noun
  • The final batch continues to focus on the generations of the Buendía family living amid political infighting in Macondo while building up to the magical-realist masterpiece’s tragic end.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Ever the realist, Cox does know and freely admits his athlete’s distance preferences.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of realist
Noun
  • Craig ran instead as a hard-charging pragmatist who had fought her way into becoming the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Rezaei has been described as a hardline pragmatist, and that certainly showed in our interview.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of pragmatist

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Cite this Entry

“Nihilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nihilist. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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