Misogyny

/mɪˈsɒdʒɪni/

nounmediumCommonGeneral

Definitions

1

Hatred of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.

/mɪˈsɒdʒɪni/

nounnegativemedium
General

Hatred or dislike of women

The company culture was criticized for its systemic misogyny.

💡 Simply: Misogyny is like when someone really, really dislikes women just because they're women. It's like when someone judges a girl just for being a girl. It's not fair!

👶 For kids: Misogyny means not liking girls and women just because they are girls and women.

More Examples

2

The author's work explores the historical roots of misogyny.

3

Many feminist movements are dedicated to fighting misogyny.

How It's Used

Social Commentary

"The article explored the pervasive misogyny in certain online communities."

Sociology

"Researchers are studying the impact of misogyny on women's mental health."

Idioms & expressions

Beneath the surface

Hidden or not immediately obvious.

"Beneath the surface of his polite demeanor lay a deep-seated misogyny."

From Greek *misos* ('hatred') and *gunē* ('woman'). The term emerged in the late 19th century to describe the hatred of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.

The term gained prominence during the second-wave feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s.

Memory tip

Think 'mis' (hatred) and 'gyny' (woman): hatred of women.

Word Origin

Root: misos (hatred) + gynē (woman)

misoginymisogynmisogyny's

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written