troglodyte

noun

trog·lo·dyte ˈträ-glə-ˌdīt

Synonyms of troglodyte next

: a member of any of various peoples (as in antiquity) who lived or were reputed to live chiefly in caves

: a person characterized by reclusive habits or outmoded or reactionary attitudes

troglodytic

ˌträ-glə-ˈdi-tik

adjective

Did you know?

Peer into the etymological cave of troglodyte and you’ll find a trōglē. But don't be afraid. Trōglē may sound like a scary cave-dwelling ogre, but it's actually just a perfectly unintimidating Greek root that means "hole" or "cave." Is troglodyte the only English word to have descended from trōglē? Not exactly. Troglodyte and its related adjective troglodytic (meaning "of, related to, or being a troglodyte") are the only trōglē offspring that are widely used in general English contexts, but another trōglē progeny, the prefix troglo-, meaning "cave-dwelling," is used in scientific contexts to form words like troglobiont ("an animal living in or restricted to caves").

Examples of troglodyte in a Sentence

a political troglodyte who didn't have a grasp of the concerns of young voters

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

In a cold open that could have been co-written by a Moms for Liberty chapter, Tulsa King lets its charming troglodyte anti(ish)-hero Dwight Manfredi take a few swings at the state of modern education in the form of the cartoonish progressive day school to which his grandchildren are to be sent. —

Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2024 Egalitarian despots: hierarchy steepness, reciprocity and the grooming-trade model in wild chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes WIREs Cognitive Science. —

Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2024 With respect to the troglodytes out there, climate change is real. —

Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 10 July 2024 The long-standing presumption of progressives has been that their own side is identified with righteousness — with tolerance, reason, and the finest of American traditions — while conservatives are hateful troglodytes who aren’t just wrong, but ill-intentioned. —

Rich Lowry, National Review, 31 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for troglodyte

Word History

Etymology

Latin troglodytae, plural, from Greek trōglodytai, from trōglē hole, cave (akin to Greek trōgein to gnaw, Armenian aracem I lead to pasture, graze) + dyein to enter

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of troglodyte was in 1555

See more words from the same year