PHILISTINES Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

philistines

noun

plural of philistine

as in materialists

a person who is chiefly interested in material comfort and is hostile or indifferent to art and culture the town's philistines who think that spending on the arts is a waste of taxpayers' money

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for philistines

Noun

Yusef Toubassi sits with his grandson Masa, looking on as children run by with cheeks painted bright colors and others howling with joy as clowns spin them around.

— Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026
One morning during my stay, there were even clowns buzzing about—a thrill to receive a balloon poodle alongside my morning flat white.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026

Definition of clowns

Noun

The prevalence of tech firms as hotspots for talent signals a wider boom amid Australia’s startup scene, which in recent years has been attracting attention and investments from venture capitalists.

— Charlotte Hu, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Venture capitalists are quickly adopting AI for tasks like sourcing and research, with firms leveraging it to structure meeting notes and manage institutional memory.

— Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of capitalists

Noun

The Cubs are led by experienced players, baseball gym rats who enjoy digging into the game’s little details and discussing the finer points of their craft.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
In its complaint, the real-estate firm points out that Urban Zen’s own lawsuit from June, alleging that rats are nesting in the cavities and holes of its Federal-style building from 1828, is evidence against them.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of rats

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philistine

philistines

philistinism

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“Philistines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philistines. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of philistines

noun

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