misanthrope
Americannoun
noun
Other Word 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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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.
He is a swindler, a snob and a savage misanthrope.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
Sittenfeld is a sharp observer of social mores and an astute judge of character, but she’s never cruel — she’s the opposite of a misanthrope.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2025
A Mariners misanthrope had an all-you-can-hate buffet in front of him Wednesday between the lack of hitting, wayward pitching and nonexistent “D.”
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 3, 2024
Prompted by her annoyance with humanity, Amanda, a prickly misanthrope, rents a house to which she, Clay and their teenagers decamp.
From New York Times ● Dec. 7, 2023
The characteristic had surfaced, to a greater or lesser degree, in nearly every horse to descend from his great-grandsire, Hastings, a thousand-pound misanthrope for the ages.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
