Mental Floss

11 Words for People Who Hate Certain Things

Everyone hates something. And there’s probably a word for that.
ByAmanda Green|
We wonder what he hates.
We wonder what he hates. | Mix and Match Studio / 500px/GettyImages

As Taylor Swift so famously sang, “haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.“ And if you’re ever curious to see exactly what the haters are opposed to, you can look to the Greek mis- and miso-, which signal a strong dislike. Some of the words below refer to some pretty common things to hate, while others are a far bit more obscure.

  1. Misodoctakleidist
  2. Misocapnist
  3. Misoneist
  4. Misopogonist
  5. Misogelast
  6. Misogamist
  7. Nomomisist
  8. Misopolemist
  9. Misologist
  10. Misapodysist
  11. Misophonist

Misodoctakleidist

Shiny Black Grand Piano on white
A misodoctakleidist wouldn't touch this piano. | artpartner-images/GettyImages

A misodoctakleidist is someone who hates practicing the piano. See also: Someone who probably isn’t very good at playing the piano, despite how many lessons their parents tried to drag them to.

Misocapnist

No Smoking Sign on street
Honestly not a bad thing to hate. | Jackyenjoyphotography/GettyImages

Don’t like smoking? Well, it kills these people. Misocapnists hate tobacco smoke in any form.

Misoneist

Portrait of man with beard, tattoos & check shirt.
He's probably lecturing you about how things were better in the past. | Mike Harrington/GettyImages

Misoneists hate novelty, trends, or innovation. You can guess how fun they are at social gatherings.

Misopogonist

Big Bearded Man Portrait
A misopogonist's worst nightmare. | RyanJLane/GettyImages

If someone keeps demanding you shave your facial hair, there’s a good chance they’re a misopogonist—otherwise known as someone who hates beards. (Strangely, we haven’t found the name for someone who hates mustaches.)

Misogelast

Cheerful woman in sunglasses embraces the sunshine surrounded by snowy mountains on sunny day
Ignore the misogelasts. | Olga Pankova/GettyImages

Lighten up! Victorian novelist George Meredith coined the term misogelast to describe people who hated laughter, or at the very least, considered it low-class or crude.

Misogamist

bride running away from a church
Good luck getting a misogamist to the altar. | Andrew Bret Wallis/GettyImages

Misogynists hate women. Misandrists hate men. And misogamists hate marriage, no matter who’s getting hitched.

Nomomisist

Businessman with name tag
Better hope they don't hate your name. | James Porter/GettyImages

This refers to someone who experiences nomomisia, otherwise known as a hatred or disgust for a particular name.

Misopolemist

Hand's of a man writing a placard in protest of war.
You may find them at peaceful anti-war protests. | Carlos Barquero/GettyImages

Why can’t we all just get along? Misopolemists hate war or strife.

Misologist

Men arguing on park bench
These two probably aren't misologists. | Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/GettyImages

Meanwhile, misologists hate arguments, debates, or enlightening discussions.

Misapodysist

Young woman hiding behind bath towel on beach
Misapodysists are probably always wearing something. | Westend61 - WEST/GettyImages

Are you someone who hates undressing in front of others, even a romantic partner? Tobias Fünke
would refer to you as a fellow NeverNude—but to the rest of us, you’re simply a misapodysist. 

Misophonist

Close-up of a child's hand scratching fingernails across a blackboard next to the word no
Yikes. | belindaroberts/GettyImages

Many of us experience some form of misophonia, an extreme intolerance for certain sounds. Nails on a chalkboard is the ultimate example. Or perhaps it’s gum smacking, open-mouthed chewing, crunching on ice, or other sounds regularly heard in public. Ugh.

Read More About Words:

A version of this story originally ran in 2016; it has been updated for 2025.

Home/WORDS