Misogyny

Other Words from misogyny

misogynous \ mə-ˈsä-jə-nəs

\ or less commonly misogynic \ ˌmi-sə-ˈji-nik ,

-ˈgī- \ adjective

misogynist \ mə-ˈsä-jə-nist

\ noun or adjective

misogynistic \ mə-ˌsä-jə-ˈni-stik

\ adjective

The (Etymological) Roots of Misogyny

Misogyny may be distinguished from the closely related word sexism, which signifies discrimination based on sex (although it most frequently refers to discrimination against women) and also carries the meaning “behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex.”

Misogyny refers specifically to a hatred of women. The word is formed from the Greek roots misein (“to hate”) and gynē (“woman”). Each of these roots can be found in other English words, both common and obscure. Gynē helped to form gynecologist and androgynous, and misein can be found in such words as misoneism (“a hatred, fear, or intolerance of innovation or change”) and misandry (“a hatred of men”).

Examples of misogyny in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One unresolved problem, Hedgerow’s gender-neutral casting notwithstanding, is a strain of misogyny in the original source material. — Julia M. Klein, Philly.com, "'His Girl Friday' at Hedgerow: Fast talk, fast pace," 2 July 2018 The maladjusted lothario also has many a dalliance with a particular strain of misogyny: the cutting and manipulative digs at past lovers that some of the rapper’s fans rush to freebase. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "The Cathartic Symphony of Future’s Beast Mode 2," 6 July 2018 In the same way, the books sidestep the true face of misogyny: if men who hate women are normal and common, then misogynist violence does not have to be so diabolical. — Alice Bolin, Longreads, "The Daughter as Detective," 26 June 2018 Women’s dispatches from enemy territory hold a distinct fascination: The basic structures of misogyny are constitutional, and there is a pleasure, for many female readers at least, in seeing everyday structural unfairness reflected back in fiction. — Stephanie Danler, New York Times, "Can Women Have It All? Not in Silicon Valley," 1 June 2018 Not everyone has adapted — Dice Clay's brand of misogyny still packs houses. — Stuart Miller, The Hollywood Reporter, ""Every Guy Checks Himself a Little": New York Comedy Clubs Adjust to #MeToo," 17 Apr. 2018 Some have worried that Trump's vulgar comments might embolden men to also disrespect women and repeat patterns of misogyny and harassment. — Julyssa Lopez, Glamour, "Man Arrested for Groping Woman on Flight Tells Police That Donald Trump 'Says It's OK'," 23 Oct. 2018 At the time, the conservative blogger’s life and writings were beginning to come under scrutiny, leading to charges of misogyny and worse. — Gabriel Pogrund, The Seattle Times, "‘How’d you find me?’: Kavanaugh friend Mark Judge has been holed up in a beach house amid media firestorm," 24 Sep. 2018 And there’s a distinction between incidents of domestic violence that also become mass shootings, and mass shootings by people with a history of domestic abuse or misogyny. — Anna North, Vox, "At Chicago’s Mercy Hospital, domestic violence became multiple homicide. It’s part of a disturbing pattern.," 21 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misogyny.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.