as in cynical
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Recent Examples of nihilistic
Clearly, there was a dark, nihilistic underside to the culture.
—
Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
One such critic has crashed the party, and his nihilistic spirit is made vivid by Warren Bowles.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 29 Sep. 2025
Suspects in several high-profile mass shooting events in recent years allegedly used Discord to announce their actions or trade in violent or nihilistic content there.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
Henderson, a black 17-year-old student, identified as incel and expressed antisemitic, nihilistic, and occult beliefs, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025
Later, after additional details emerged, still others said the shooter was motivated by nihilistic video game culture.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
The shooter's social media footprint fits into a new wave of online extremism and suggests he was involved in nihilistic violent extremist networks, which often aim to exploit children and teenagers and push them toward violence, experts told The Post.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
The state of alienation that permeates and infuses Camus’ prose is the missing ingredient here and, without it, Meursault cuts a very different figure — less adrift in ennui and more intentionally nihilistic.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Before Dean Moriarty in On the Road and James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, there was Meursault, the nihilistic antihero of Albert Camus’ first novel, The Stranger (L’étranger), and one of modern culture’s original bad boys.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
One such critic has crashed the party, and his nihilistic spirit is made vivid by Warren Bowles.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 29 Sep. 2025
Suspects in several high-profile mass shooting events in recent years allegedly used Discord to announce their actions or trade in violent or nihilistic content there.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
Henderson, a black 17-year-old student, identified as incel and expressed antisemitic, nihilistic, and occult beliefs, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025
Later, after additional details emerged, still others said the shooter was motivated by nihilistic video game culture.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
The shooter's social media footprint fits into a new wave of online extremism and suggests he was involved in nihilistic violent extremist networks, which often aim to exploit children and teenagers and push them toward violence, experts told The Post.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
The state of alienation that permeates and infuses Camus’ prose is the missing ingredient here and, without it, Meursault cuts a very different figure — less adrift in ennui and more intentionally nihilistic.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Before Dean Moriarty in On the Road and James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, there was Meursault, the nihilistic antihero of Albert Camus’ first novel, The Stranger (L’étranger), and one of modern culture’s original bad boys.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nihilistic
Adjective
-
The crimes with which she has been charged are trumped up and her arrest is a cynical ploy by the junta headed by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to cling onto power.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Is Alec’s folksiness sincere or cynical?—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Dreaming was a new pastime in a country long considered fatalistic.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
-
That was like a very sort of fatalistic view.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s no nihilist energy in the song.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The modest pace of hiring, alongside a series of high-profile layoff announcements from major companies, helps explain why consumers remain pessimistic about the labor market.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Only voters in Virginia saw their state’s economy as excellent or good, while those in California, New York City and New Jersey took a more pessimistic view.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nihilistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nihilistic. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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