as in cynical
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 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
-
My appetite for more Lee is low, but Harjo’s Tulsa — cynical and lively at the same time — simmers with more to say.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Certainly, the cynical have questioned if one organization is cleaning up a mess beget by another in the name of democratizing fashion, including through the proliferation of fossil-fuel materials.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Oct. 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
-
Director Yorgos Lanthimos says audiences have been divided on whether the film presents an optimistic or pessimistic view of the future.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Senators remain pessimistic about the chances of reaching a bipartisan deal to reopen the government despite the effects of the shutdown becoming more painful for the American people.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nihilistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nihilistic. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share