1
Core quality
Distrustful of, disliking, or avoiding humanity and human society.
Example
The character's misanthropic outlook isolates him from his neighbours.
misanthropic
/ˌmɪsənˈθrɒpɪk/ · mis-un-THROP-ikadjective
Distrustful of, disliking, or avoiding humanity and human society.
Use misanthropic to express this relationship precisely: distrustful of, disliking, or avoiding humanity and human society.
What misanthropic Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
Her satire is severe but not entirely misanthropic.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
Years of betrayal made the narrator increasingly misanthropic.
Use misanthropic Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The character's misanthropic outlook isolates him from his neighbours.
Her satire is severe but not entirely misanthropic.
Years of betrayal made the narrator increasingly misanthropic.
Precision Matters
Misanthropic overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
misanthropic
vs.Means distrustful of, disliking, or avoiding humanity and human society.
insular
Means isolated from broader influences or limited by a narrow, inward-looking viewpoint.
misanthropic
vs.Means distrustful of, disliking, or avoiding humanity and human society.
taciturn
Means habitually reserved, quiet, or unwilling to speak much.
misanthropic
vs.Means distrustful of, disliking, or avoiding humanity and human society.
gregarious
Means sociable and inclined to seek or enjoy the company of others.
misanthropic
vs.Means distrustful of, disliking, or avoiding humanity and human society.
amiable
Means friendly, pleasant, and good-natured.
Test misanthropic in Context
He dislikes and avoids human society.
1
The novel's recluse expresses a ___ contempt for nearly all human company.