Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. One who believes in nothing; one who advocates the metaphysical doctrine of nihilism.
- n. One who rejects all the positive beliefs upon which existing society and governments are founded; one who demands the abolition of the existing social and political order of things.
- n. Specifically An adherent of nihilism; a member of a Russian secret society which aims at the overthrow of the existing order of things, social, political, and religious; a Russian anarchist or revolutionary reformer. See nihilism, 4.
Wiktionary
- n. A person who accepts or champions nihilism.
- n. An absolute skeptic; a person who believes in the truth of nothing.
- n. nihilist
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. One who advocates the doctrine of nihilism; one who believes or teaches that nothing can be known, or asserted to exist.
- n. A member of a secret association (esp. in Russia), which is devoted to the destruction of the present political, religious, and social institutions.
WordNet 3.0
- n. someone who rejects all theories of morality or religious belief
- n. an advocate of anarchism
Examples
“You do know that being identified as a nihilist is a not a compliment, don’t ya, Abb? abb1 Says:”
“It doesn't mean you can walk the street naked—what I would call nihilist nudity.”
“The Real World for the nihilist is the one where life lashes out at all of us, every damned single day -- where hope is a deluded pipedream, and (bleep) happens.”
“Or the idea of nihilist terrorists getting a nuke from a failed state like N Korea or Pakistan.”
“A nihilist is a man who does not bow down before any authority, who does not take any principle on faith, whatever reverence that principle may be enshrined in.”
“Perhaps the word is misused, and he is better described as a nihilist, or an annihilist.”
“Perhaps the word is misused, and he his better described as a nihilist, or an annihilist.”
“They do not want to become what they fight, namely a nihilist who asserts his will rather than good men who obey a notion of justice outside of their own desires.”
“Ultimately, however, as I say, the "nihilist" position (if you must call it that) can only take you so far.”
John Terry’s sacking as England captain tells us something interesting...
“Bob Woodward's anodyne account of his misadventures inside the Imperial Palace's cocktail hours are "of great consequence and importance," but Michael Hastings is just like Julian Assange: a "nihilist" whose story "contained nothing of real value concerning policy.”
The Huffington Post: Richard Cohen Criticizes WikiLeaks, Lies About Michael Hastings
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘nihilist’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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The Request Line
This is the place to add words you'd like Charles Harrington Elster to pronounce for you!
swingeing, affiant, dahlia, hydrangea, re, clematis, Nabokov, casu marzu, schadenfreudgeon, nefarious, mewl, manteion and 170 more...
spicolli Nihilists! F**k me. I mean, say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos.
- Walter Sobchack, in the Big Liebowski Apr 17, 2007