Well-read · Philosophy & belief
Nihilism: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Nihilism noun. The belief that life has no meaning or value and that moral principles have no real basis.
How to say it
NY-ih-liz-um/ˈnaɪɪlɪz(ə)m/
4 syllables, stressed on the first (NY). Forms: nihilist, nihilistic.
Nihilism in a sentence
Three days of rain and a cancelled festival tipped the teenagers into cheerful nihilism.
The play's nihilism is softened by its jokes, which keep the despair from swallowing the stage.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- pessimism
- negativism
- despair
Opposite:
- optimism
- idealism
Where nihilism comes from
From Latin nihil, nothing; Turgenev's 1862 novel Fathers and Sons made the word famous.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The play's _____ is softened by its jokes, which keep the despair from swallowing the stage.
- empiricism
- nihilism
- glossolalia
Show the answer
nihilism: The play's nihilism is softened by its jokes, which keep the despair from swallowing the stage.