Pronunciations
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/ˈtaɪmənɪzəm/
Pronunciation notes
- General-American
- Received-Pronunciation
Noun
A form of bitter misanthropy, a despair leading to hatred or contemptuous rejection of mankind, like Timon of Athens.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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This most cruel betrayal led him to Timonism.
His "Timonism" scarcely shows itself, except against the priesthood, for which he has very little respect.
More examples (3)
Then how could it be otherwise, than that an incipient Timonism should slide into Pierre, when he considered all the disgraceful inferences to be derived from such a fact.
Men are stuffy little fellows. Their manliness bores me—it is almost universal, and humanity is very rare. … the poor things keep on struggling in a web of phantoms. They play with dolls all their lives. It's no good talking to them about wisdom and beauty. They have a complete system. There's even a doll Hell. This is not Timonism, I am an optimist. They are saved, most of them by their guts. A doll has no guts.
Cynicism is often contrasted with "Timonism" (cf. Shakespeare's Timon of Athens). Cynics saw what people could be & were angered by what they had become; Timonists felt humans were hopelessly stupid & uncaring by nature & so saw no hope for change.
A bitter or cynical utterance or behavior, in the manner of Timon of Athens.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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Pay no attention to his Timonisms; it's a pose.
More examples (1)
Thus he ran on carelessly in this cynical vein; but I, after a time, paid no attention to his Timonisms, being taken up with the spectacle of a crowd in the street surrounding a carriage.