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

Moreover, conflating bots with women misunderstands the nature of misogyny. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

Then letting go of my own anger and rage – at evangelicalism, fundamentalism, misogyny, patriarchy etc. – was a significant challenge. —Annika Pham, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024

But the violence and misogyny in the songs remained the same, sometimes quite literally. —Liz Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Commentary: For Black women, the world of hip-hop has always been a minefield of misogyny. —Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024

The #MeToo movement empowered women to come forward with personal stories, ranging from drugging and rape to sexist behavior and misogyny. —Karen Bliss, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2024

That barreling is assisted mightily by the two male characters in the narrative, who take turns maximizing smarm and misogyny. —David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024

In the Margaret Thatcher biopic, Streep sports a stiff upper lip and no patience for snobby misogyny as England's first female prime minister. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024

And at the center of it all was one video game narrative development company: Sweet Baby Inc. This growing group of people want to believe themselves a new incarnation of Gamergate, a harassment campaign started in 2014 that targeted women speaking out against misogyny in the video games industry. —Ash Parrish, The Verge, 18 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above