philistine — a person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈfɪlɪˌstiːn/
Example Sentences
- The billionaire was called a philistine for wanting to turn the historic theater into a parking lot.
- My roommate is such a philistine - he uses my expensive art books as coasters for his beer.
- Stop being a philistine and appreciate the subtle beauty of this poetry.
philistine
NOUN[/ˈfɪlɪˌstiːn/]
a person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them
The philistine yawned loudly in front of the priceless Renaissance painting.
Phil is dine, ignoring art so fine - philistine!
The curator from Palestine admires art crystalline, while the philistine shows no interest divine.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From the Philistines, an ancient people who inhabited the coast of Canaan and were portrayed in biblical texts as cultural outsiders. The term became a generalized insult in 17th-18th century Europe to describe those considered uncultured or artistically ignorant.
Breakdown
Philistin- (from Philistines, ancient Near Eastern people) + -e (noun suffix) = philistine (uncultured person)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The billionaire was called a philistine for wanting to turn the historic theater into a parking lot.”
“My roommate is such a philistine - he uses my expensive art books as coasters for his beer.”
“Stop being a philistine and appreciate the subtle beauty of this poetry.”
“The philistine critic dismissed the entire exhibition as 'weird splashes of paint.'”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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