What is another word for nihilists?

Pronunciation: [nˈa͡ɪəlˌɪsts] (IPA)

Nihilism is a philosophical belief that life is without any objective meaning or purpose. Individuals who subscribe to this belief are known as nihilists. However, there are several synonyms for nihilists, including pessimists, cynics, fatalists, anarchists, and antinomians. Pessimists typically view the world through a negative lens and believe that everything is destined to end poorly. Cynics see life as inherently dishonest and deceitful, while fatalists believe that events are predetermined and that human actions have little effect on the outcome. Anarchists reject hierarchical systems, while antinomians refuse to abide by traditional moral and social codes. Overall, these synonyms all share a common belief that life is ultimately meaningless.

What are the hypernyms for Nihilists?

A hypernym is a word with a broad meaning that encompasses more specific words called hyponyms.
  • Other hypernyms:

    disbelievers, pessimists, materialists, believers in nothingness, radical intellectuals, radicalists.

Usage examples for Nihilists

This murderous crew has been well defined by an English writer, who says, "The nihilists are simply striving to force upon an unwilling people the fantastic freedom of anarchy."
"Due North or Glimpses of Scandinavia and Russia"
Maturin M. Ballou
"Yes, before we had Hegelians; now we have nihilists.
"Contemporary Socialism"
John Rae
The nihilists had as yet a vague belief in the Czar and the coming reforms; they felt that the Russian people were at last to have a chance of showing the rich genius that lay in them, and their whole anxiety was to have the people adequately trained for this great destiny.
"Contemporary Socialism"
John Rae

Famous quotes with Nihilists

  • These doubts must be met in the following way. You announce that meaning does not exist until you make it, and then you don the mantle of meaning-maker. The minute you do this, all previous belief systems, both those that told you what to believe and those that told you that there was nothing to believe, vanish. You suddenly enact the paradigm shift that I believe we are now ready to embrace: the shift from seeking meaning to making meaning. You let go of wondering what the universe wants of you, … and you announce that you will make life mean exactly what you intend it to mean. This is an amazing, glorious, and triumphant announcement. The instant you realize that meaning is not provided (as traditional belief systems teach) and that it is not absent (as nihilists feel), a new world of potential opens up for you.
    Eric Maisel
  • “This is the stuff which some Nazis wished to put into our churches,” whispered von Bek. “Pagan objects of worship which they claim are the symbols of a true German religion. They are almost as anti-Christian as they are anti-Semitic. It is as if they hate every system of thought which in any way questions their own mish-mash of pseudo-philosophy and mystical claptrap!” He stared at the altar in disgust. “They are the worst kind of nihilists. They cannot even see that they destroy everything and create nothing. Their invention is as empty as any inventions of Chaos I have seen. It has no true history, no concrete substance, no depth, no quality of intellect. It is merely a negation, a brutal denial of all Germany’s virtues.”
    Michael Moorcock

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Related questions:

  • What is the definition of a nihilist?
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