troglodyte

noun

trog·​lo·​dyte ˈträ-glə-ˌdīt How to pronounce troglodyte (audio)
1
: a member of any of various peoples (as in antiquity) who lived or were reputed to live chiefly in caves
2
: a person characterized by reclusive habits or outmoded or reactionary attitudes
troglodytic 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 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 Over three years later, when Hartman returned to host SNL during season 21, the corrupt troglodyte was revived for a final time. Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2022 Anyone who questioned its pandemic policies was branded a sociopath and a troglodyte. Gabrielle Bauer, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022 So far this year, the carlike Toyota Highlander is outselling its troglodyte sibling, the 4Runner, at a rate of about two to one. Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 16 Dec. 2021 Every troglodyte pushing baby-step solutions to a Biblical flood. Dennard Dayle, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2021 Mark is a low-key troglodyte; Paula is outspokenly progressive. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2021 Now Gove’s remark became the source of the ashen taste in the mouths of Remoaner metropolitan elites bewailing how provincial troglodytes, geriatrics, and Little Englanders had dashed their rationalist, internationalist dreams. Kyle Smith, National Review, 8 Apr. 2020 Writing critics off as a gang of right-wing troglodytes, the standard tactic of many of Pope Francis’s defenders, is not just derisive and condescending. Francis X. Maier, National Review, 20 Mar. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'troglodyte.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

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Dictionary Entries Near troglodyte

Cite this Entry

“Troglodyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troglodyte. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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