misanthropy
/mɪˈsæn.θɹə.pi/
misanthropy means A negative view or hatred of the human race. It carries an Arena rating of 1722, earned across 81 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, misanthropy ranks #1,100 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,205 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #1,481 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #1,908 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words.
misanthropy is pronounced /mɪˈsæn.θɹə.pi/.
Why “misanthropy” is a great word
MISANTHROPY — [Noun] A profound, generalized hatred, distrust, or contempt for humanity as a species. From Ancient Greek μῖσος (mîsos, "hatred") + ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, "human"), via μισανθρωπία (misanthrōpía); first attested in English c. 1650. Unlike "cynicism," which suspects universal self-interest, or "reclusiveness," which may seek solitude without contempt, misanthropy is a profound philosophical verdict on the species itself. It is the visceral recoil from a crowded public square, the weary conclusion drawn from history's ledgers, and the cold satisfaction of a hermit observing a distant city's lights go out—a sorrowful recognition that the defect is not in a few souls, but in the blueprint of humanity.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek μισανθρωπία (misanthrōpía), from μισάνθρωπος (misánthrōpos), from μῖσος (mîsos, “hatred”) + ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “human”). The word is analysable as miso- + -anthropy.
noun
- A negative view or hatred of the human race.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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