misogyny

noun

mi·​sog·​y·​ny mə-ˈsä-jə-nē 

: hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against women

a culture that promotes violence and misogyny

… battled the personal demons of alcoholism, racism, and misogyny.

—James Kaplan

Her books are pervaded by a deep pessimism and an equally profound misogyny.

—Janet Malcolm

… a mission to expose the common cord that nourishes capitalism, misogyny, classism, and fat hatred …

—Anastasia Higginbotham

also : something (such as speech or behavior) that reflects and fosters misogyny

Cosloy's suggestion for a solution to misogyny in song—women should make their own records!—is scurrilous as long as men are not ready to pass the mike.

—Evelyn McDonnell

Dr [Una] McIlvenna says misogyny has always been rife. "There's always been misogyny in news reporting, both victim-blaming and in the coverage of women who commit crimes."

—Lisa Needham

Did you know?

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

That’s what this moron advocated in a shameful commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas -- a spew of backward misogyny that has since been rightly vilified. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 19 May 2024

That sums up the paradox of her life in one line — a shy weirdo kid who became a mega-pop star too fast, a romantic who’s never had the luxury of a private love life, a target for misogyny since her mid-teens. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024

With remarkable control and a heavy dose of absurdity, Nyoni revealed the misogyny embedded within, and the exploitative nature of, these ad hoc communities. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024

Her research took her from a residential center in southern Utah to an elite private school in Manhattan, and from the dark web – with its online misogyny – to her own living room, where her three bright sons alternated between ferocious wrestling and nearly comatose screen time. —Courtney E. Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2024

Even as the government persecutes feminists—journalist and #MeToo activist Huang Xueqin was put on trial last September—translations of Ueno’s books, with topics including feminism and misogyny, have become best sellers. —TIME, 17 Apr. 2024

Moreover, conflating bots with women misunderstands the nature of misogyny. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

Then letting go of my own anger and rage – at evangelicalism, fundamentalism, misogyny, patriarchy etc. – was a significant challenge. —Annika Pham, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024

But the violence and misogyny in the songs remained the same, sometimes quite literally. —Liz Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Greek misogynia, from misein to hate + gynē woman — more at queen

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above