Dictionary

Timonism en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtaɪmənɪzəm/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• tīʹmənĭzəm (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Timon + -ism, after the 5th-century-BCE person Timon of Athens (as described by Plutarch, Lucian, and Aristophanes), possibly by way of William Shakespeare's play Timon of Athens (c. 1607). Used in the Westminster Review (maybe after the earlier Timonist) in an 1840 review. Erroneously attributed to Herman Melville, who popularized it later in 1852.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A form of bitter misanthropy, a despair leading to hatred or contemptuous rejection of mankind, like Timon of Athens.
   • 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. 1906, Prof. Walter Raleigh, letter published in 1926
   • 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. 1852, Herman Melville, Pierre, chapter XVII "Young America in Literature", part III, online version
   • 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. 1988 January, Paul Ollswang, "Cynicism: A Series of Cartoons on a Philosophical Theme", page B at official site; repr. in The Best Comics of the Decade 1980-1990 Vol. 1, Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 1990, p. 23
   • His "Timonism" scarcely shows itself, except against the priesthood, for which he has very little respect. 1840, in The Westminster Review, September
   • This most cruel betrayal led him to Timonism.
2. (countable, uncountable) A bitter or cynical utterance or behavior, in the manner of Timon of Athens.
   • Pay no attention to his Timonisms; it's a pose.
   • 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. 1891, Fergus Hume, When I Lived in Bohemia: Papers Selected from the Portfolio of Peter ---, Esq, repr. Tait, sons & company, 1892, p. 150 at Google Books

Forms

Deriveds

Timonist

Relateds

Timonian · Timonean · Simonism · Timonize

Translations (4)

fr Timonisme (Form of bitter misanthropy) · fr Timonisme (Bitter or cynical utterance) · fr timonisme (Bitter or cynical utterance) · fr timonisme (Form of bitter misanthropy)

wikipedia: William Shakespeare · wikipedia: Herman Melville · wikipedia: Timon of Athens (person) · wikipedia: Westminster Review · wikipedia: Aristophanes · wikipedia: Lucian · wikipedia: Timon of Athens · wikipedia: Plutarch