misanthrope
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of misanthrope
First recorded in 1680–90; from French misanthrope (noun and adjective), from Greek mīsánthrōpos “hating humankind”; see miso-, anthropo-
Explanation
A misanthrope is a person who hates or mistrusts other people. Your great aunt Edna who lashes out at anyone who approaches, convinced they'll steal the jewelry she keeps in her handbag on her lap? A misanthrope indeed. This is a formal word, derived from Greek misanthrōpos "hating mankind," from misein "to hate" plus anthrōpos "a man." From the same root, we get the English word anthropology "the study of humans." If you make a statement or do something that is particularly hostile or untrusting, you can call that misanthropic.
Vocabulary lists containing misanthrope
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Scrooge, Grinch, and Churl: Wonderful Words for Unpleasant People
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We the People: Anthrop
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She took a number of leading roles with the National Theatre Company at the Old Vic and gained a second Tony nomination for her performance as Celimene in The Misanthrope.
From BBC • Sep. 10, 2020
His playful, rhyming couplets of Moliere's "Tartuffe" and "The Misanthrope" were often called the definitive editions of those classic 17th-century satires.
From Time • Oct. 15, 2017
It marks Lewis's first stage turn since 2009, when he played opposite Keira Knightley in The Misanthrope.
From BBC • Dec. 12, 2014
Roger McGough's acclaimed version of The Misanthrope is at the Northcott in Exeter on Tuesday.
From The Guardian • Apr. 22, 2013
I tried listening to The Misanthrope and Fontaine's Fables, but they were just too dense for me.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
