misogyny

[ mi-soj-uh-nee, mahy- ]
See synonyms for misogyny on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women, manifested in various forms such as physical intimidation and abuse, sexual harassment and rape, social shunning and ostracism, etc.: the underlying misogyny in slut-shaming;Historically witch hunts were an embodiment of the misogyny of the time.

  2. ingrained and institutionalized prejudice against women; sexism.

Origin of misogyny

1
First recorded in 1650–60; New Latin misogynia, from Greek misogynía “hatred of women,” equivalent to miso- + gyn- + -ia noun suffix; see origin at miso-, gyn-, -y3
  • Sometimes mi·sog·y·nism [mi-soj-uh-niz-uhm, mahy-] /mɪˈsɒdʒ əˌnɪz əm, maɪ-/ .

word story For misogyny

Up until the 1980s, the meanings of misogyny and sexism were distinct. Misogyny related to feelings of hatred toward women, while sexism was about firmly established stereotypes related to gender, and the discrimination resulting from such conceptions, typically directed toward women. These meanings are still widely used today. By these definitions, it follows that all misogynists are sexist, but not all people who hold sexist beliefs or support sexist systems are misogynists.
However, it has become increasingly common to see the terms misogyny and sexism used more or less interchangeably. That is to say that the word misogyny is now sometimes used to discuss the societal structures that propagate gender-based discrimination, and sexism is now sometimes used to refer to hatred toward women.
While the apparent merging of these senses is subject to some criticism and is sometimes considered a conflation of the terms, this is to be expected. Often shifts in the meaning of well-established terms take generations to achieve widespread acceptance.

confusables note For misogyny

See misandry.

Other words from misogyny

  • mi·sog·y·nic, mi·sog·y·nous, mi·sog·y·nis·tic, adjective
  • mi·sog·y·nist, noun

Words that may be confused with misogyny

Words Nearby misogyny

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use misogyny in a sentence

  • In his present humor of misogyny he wondered why it was thought to be necessary to put a woman in everything.

    What Will People Say? | Rupert Hughes
  • And he walked haughtily up the street, leaving Mr. Watson to ponder upon this case of misogyny, never until that moment suspected.

    Seventeen | Booth Tarkington
  • Disappointed love not uncommonly causes misogyny, even as extreme thirst is supposed to be the cause of hydrophobia.

    Anima Poet | Samuel Taylor Coleridge
  • Without the hopeless misogyny of the Swede, without his pessimism, Wedekind is quite as drastic.

    Ivory Apes and Peacocks | James Huneker
  • Hast thou the oracle as yet unseenTo guide thy fell misogyny?

    The Dreamers | John Kendrick Bangs

British Dictionary definitions for misogyny

misogyny

/ (mɪˈsɒdʒɪnɪ, maɪ-) /


noun
  1. hatred of women

Origin of misogyny

1
C17: from Greek, from miso- + gunē woman

Derived forms of misogyny

  • misogynist, noun, adjective
  • misogynistic or misogynous, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012