misanthropic
adjective
mis·an·throp·ic
ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈthrä-pik 
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a misanthrope
He was shunned because of his miserable misanthropic nature.
2
: marked by a hatred or contempt for humankind
The moral corruption he saw around him made him misanthropic.
Did you know?
Jonathan Swift was famous for the misanthropy of works such as Gulliver's Travels which make fun of all kinds of human foolishness. But in spite of his apparent misanthropic attitude, he spent a third of his income on founding a hospital and another third on other charities—certainly not the acts of a true misanthrope. Today we often use synonyms such as cynic and grinch for misanthropic types—while hoping we don't meet too many of them.
Examples of misanthropic in a Sentence
a misanthropic outlook on life that probably stems from a childhood filled with physical and emotional abuse
Recent Examples on the Web
But, then, genuine misanthropic disdain is part of Verhoeven's tool kit.
—
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
To describe Mickey 17 as a sendup, by the way, is to distinguish it from satire, which would require a deeper cynicism or genuine misanthropic disdain.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
The role captured all of his ironic charm and misanthropic appeal within the kind of debonair character that the perennial everyman had never quite shown us before.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
There was much to criticize ESPN for over the years, including the overdose of Yankees-Red Sox games and employing the misanthropic Schilling and repeat PED offender Álex Rodríguez.
—Paul Sullivan, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025
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Tom Gliatto, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
To describe Mickey 17 as a sendup, by the way, is to distinguish it from satire, which would require a deeper cynicism or genuine misanthropic disdain.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
The role captured all of his ironic charm and misanthropic appeal within the kind of debonair character that the perennial everyman had never quite shown us before.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
There was much to criticize ESPN for over the years, including the overdose of Yankees-Red Sox games and employing the misanthropic Schilling and repeat PED offender Álex Rodríguez.
—Paul Sullivan, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misanthropic
Cite this Entry
“Misanthropic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misanthropic. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
misanthropic
adjective
mis·an·throp·ic
ˌmis-ᵊn-ˈthräp-ik
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a misanthrope
2
: marked by a hatred or contempt for humankind
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