nihilistic
Americanadjective
-
of or believing in nihilism, or the total rejection of established laws and institutions.
An exhibition of nihilistic art—now there's an oxymoron!
-
embracing anarchy, terrorism, and destruction.
nihilistic tactics learned in a terrorist bootcamp.
-
Philosophy. of or believing in an extreme form of skepticism; belief in nothingness.
Other Word Forms
- antinihilistic adjective
- nihilistically adverb
- nonnihilistic adjective
- unnihilistic adjective
Etymology
Origin of nihilistic
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.
This religious pablum is just a fig leaf, of course, for what is essentially a nihilistic message.
From Salon
“I get that there are some fears and concerns based on what happened on Jan. 6. But it’s ridiculous and pathetic and nihilistic to say that a conservative can’t peacefully protest.”
From New York Times
In her opinion, it would be the height of cruelty to bring a child into a world that faces such an apocalyptic and nihilistic future.
From Washington Post
Zara, whom Hoby grants an almost unimpeachable moral authority, champions a nihilistic opposition between art and justice that largely goes unquestioned.
From Seattle Times
He rejected any criticism that he was being nihilistic.
From Washington Post
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.
