From the abduction of more than 300 Nigerian schoolgirls by militant group Boko Haram in April (who have yet to be released or rescued) to the two men (comedian Dapper Laughs and 'dating expert' Julien Blanc) who made headlines for publicly advocating sexual violence to pick up women, the year proved not only deeply misogynist and dangerous.
But 2014 brought many wins for women.
Not only did feminism go mainstream (thanks, in large part, to Beyonce and Emma Watson) but many trailblazing women helped to make history in their own fields - whether that was helping to stop ebola in its tracks or welcoming the first woman bishop to the Church of England.
In truth there were almost too many women to mention, but we'd like to make a special shout out to a handful of women who almost made the final list: Ellen DeGeneres for that Oscars selfie, Kim Kardashian and her shiny bottom for almost breaking the internet, Irish footballer Stephanie Roche for her incredible Fifa-nominated goal and Lucy-Anne Holmes for continuing (tirelessly) to fight David Dinsmore and The Sun's Page 3.
So without further ado, here are the women that we feel defined 2014.