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misogynistic

American  
[mi-soj-uh-nis-tik, mahy‑] / mɪˌsɒdʒ əˈnɪs tɪk, maɪ‑ /
Sometimes misogynic,

adjective

  1. reflecting or exhibiting hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women.

  2. reflecting or exhibiting ingrained and institutionalized prejudice against women; sexist.

    misogynistic attitudes stemming from the highest corporate level.


Etymology

Origin of misogynistic

First recorded in 1820–25; misogynist ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Explanation

The adjective misogynistic is good for describing a dislike or hatred of women, or a deep-rooted bias against women in particular. If you describe a song's lyrics as being misogynistic, it means that they display an ugly hatred of women. A religion can be called misogynistic if it treats women as less human than men, and an employer might be accused of being misogynistic if he only promotes men in his company. The word is comprised of the Greek words miso, "hatred," and gyne, "women."

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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.

Police play a key role in keeping fans safe at matches - including protecting women and girls from misogynistic abuse.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

She made that abundantly clear in an op-ed for the New York Times that also criticized the series for what she claims is a misogynistic portrayal of her younger self.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

In a well-reported case last year, a group of feminist artist-activists vandalised a 19th-Century painting of a woman's vulva by French artist Gustave Courbet, calling it misogynistic.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

Mr Taylor launched High Court action claiming the film had made him appear "misogynistic" and "weasel-like".

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

And, vain peacock that I was, I rather liked to think of Peter going through life 226 mourning for me, alone and melancholy and misogynistic for the rest of his days!

From The Prairie Child by Ward. E. F. (Edmund Franklin)