misanthrope

[ mis-uhn-throhp, miz- ]

noun

1. a person who hates, dislikes, or distrusts most others; an antisocial, cynical, or unfriendly person:

   They’re a bunch of mean-spirited misanthropes, smugly indifferent to the misfortunes of others.

misanthrope

/ ˈmɪzənˌθrəʊp; mɪˈzænθrəpɪ; mɪˈzænθrəpɪst; ˌmɪzənˈθrɒpɪk /

noun

1. a person who dislikes or distrusts other people or mankind in general

Derived Forms

• misanthropic, adjective
• ˌmisanˈthropically, adverb
• misanthropy, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of misanthrope¹

First recorded in 1680–90; from French misanthrope (noun and adjective), from Greek mīsánthrōpos “hating humankind”; miso-, anthropo-

Word History and Origins

Origin of misanthrope¹

C17: from Greek mīsanthrōpos, from misos hatred + anthrōpos man

Example Sentences

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

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

Set over Christmas in 1970, Lamb is sharing the mistletoe with a misanthrope.

From BBC

While his films take a rather dim view of human nature, he insists he’s not a misanthrope.

From Los Angeles Times

And then there are the racists, misogynists and assorted misanthropes who are happy to burn it all down and Trump is both the gasoline and the match to get this fire sale started.

From Salon