1
: having or showing the attitude or temper of a cynic: such as
a
: contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives
… those cynical men who say that democracy cannot be honest and efficient.—
Franklin D. Roosevelt
b
: based on or reflecting a belief that human conduct is motivated primarily by self-interest
a cynical ploy to win votes
Did you know?
Cynical has a certain amount of dog in its ancestry, although not in the way that you might think. In ancient Greece, the followers of the philosopher Antisthenes were referred to as kynikos (“doglike”); when cynical was first used in English, it often was in reference to this group of philosophers.
A number of other English words have a canine history as well: harass can be traced to a word in Middle French (harer) meaning “to set a dog on;” sarcasm comes from a Greek word (sarkazein) which means “to tear flesh like dogs;” and even the word for a completely different animal, the canary, comes from a word for dog (the explanation for this seeming incongruity is that the bird comes from the Canary Islands, the name of which comes from the Latin for “dog islands,” Canariae insulae).
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for cynical
cynical about politicians’ motives
misanthropic suggests a rooted distrust and dislike of human beings and their society.
a solitary and misanthropic artist
pessimistic implies having a gloomy, distrustful view of life.
pessimistic about the future
Example Sentences
… if more and more people out there are willing to kill themselves in order to kill us, we’ve got to give the poor and cynical of the world something positive to believe in.
—Robert Reich, Prospect, February 2003
When «Roots» premiered on the ABC network in 1977, my generation of black academics and activists was cynical and outraged. We felt the horrors of slavery were rendered flat and lifeless by the miniseries …
—Houston A. Baker, Jr., Vibe, February 2002
It was fear of the Other, the poor, the dying—or to evoke a word with biblical authority—the pestilential. And so I could no longer be cynical about her motives.
—Bharati Mukherjee, Time, 14 June 1999
… was quiet spoken, but he had a cynical arch to his brows, as though he were repressing an urge to sneer.
—Joseph Wambaugh, The Blooding, 1989
Cynical people say there is no such thing as true love.
People are so cynical nowadays.
She’s become more cynical in her old age.
Some people regard the governor’s visit to the hospital as a cynical attempt to win votes.
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Recent Examples on the Web
But his success will forever be viewed by the most cynical among us as not entirely on the level.
—Bill Oram, oregonlive, 9 Apr. 2023
The cynical take on Altman was put forth by Brian Merchant in an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times—namely, that fear-mongering about A.I., particularly about its ability to replace lots of people’s jobs, only serves to hype the power of existing technologies and OpenAI’s brand, boosting its sales.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2023
While not necessarily cynical about love, Milz has had enough experiences under her belt to mitigate her own expectations romantically.
—Rachel Seo, Variety, 4 Apr. 2023
What a cynical, shortsighted take.
—Ashley Soebroto, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Mar. 2023
But the ruling families of Qatar and the U.A.E. embraced different, if equally cynical, strategies for bolstering their power.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
The use of social justice rhetoric to argue against social justice policy might seem like cynical, pick-me nonsense to most left-of-centers, but the world is not so simple.
—Laura Jedeed, The New Republic, 27 Mar. 2023
Stahelski’s cynical fantasy doesn’t degrade us like politicians and the prevaricators in our dishonest media do.
—Armond White, National Review, 24 Mar. 2023
Unscrupulous politicians purposefully serve up outrage, lies, and indignation on social media for their own political ends, all of which make agitated partisans, addictive social media platforms, and cynical manipulators a particularly sinister brew.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘cynical.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1542, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of cynical was
in 1542
Dictionary Entries Near cynical
Cite this Entry
“Cynical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cynical. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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11 Apr 2023
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
What does the word cynical mean?
According to Merriam-Webster Unabridged English Dictionary and Dictionary, the word cynical (pronounced ˈsɪnɪk ə l) is an adjective that describes a person who is distrustful of human nature and others’ motives, or someone who is generally pessimistic. Someone who is a cynic believes that people are inherently motivated by selfish desires, and that no one person is inherently good. Related words to cynical include the nouns cynic, cynicism and cynicalness, and the adverb form of cynical, cynically. Someone who has a cynical attitude or cynical view of the world may be depressing to be around. Cynical people are often viewed as “downers.” This term was first used by Greek philosophers who believed that people only ever acted in their own self-interest.
The word cynical also exists in many different languages and can be used to describe people who believe that humans are motivated by selfishness. You may notice that some of these words look very similar to the word cynical, ro are cognates for the word cynical. This is because these words have the same root or origin. Words of the same origin often look and sound similar to one another. This list of translations for the word cynical is provided by Word Sense.
- Serbo-Croatian: cìničan
- Armenian: ցինիկ
- Russian: цини́чный
- German: zynisch
- Bokmål: kynisk
- Finnish: kyyninen
- Spanish: receloso
- Nynorsk: kynisk
- Dutch: cynisch
- Turkish: küçümseyici
- Swedish: cynisk
- Scottish Gaelic: dranndanach, searbhasach
- Romanian: cinic
- Malay: sinis
- Chinese – Mandarin: 玩世不恭 (wánshìbùgōng)
- Portuguese: cínico
- Danish: kynisk
- Czech: cynický (masc.)
- Bulgarian: циничен (ciníčen)
- French: cynique
- Italian: cinico
- Maori: pūhohe
- Greek: κυνικός, ωμός (masc.)
- Japanese: 皮肉
What is the origin of the word cynical?
According to Etymonline, the words cynical and the noun form cynic have been used since the 1630s and 1550s, respectively. Cynic is used to mean someone who believes in the ancient sect of philosophy of Antistheses. This is the Latinized form of the Greek kynikos, which meant a follower of Antisthenes. This word literally meant dog-like, and was formed from the Greek kyōn, which is the genitive kynos, meaning “dog.” This is supposed to be a reference to the coarseness that the philosophers believe is present in life, which is figuratively similar to a dog’s hair or personality. It could also come from Kynosarge, which means The Gray Dog. This was the name of the gymnasium which was outside of ancient Athens and was used by people who were not pure Athenian. Here, Antisthenes taught his philosophy and teachings, and was a pupil of Socrates. The word has been used more generally to eman some sneering or sarcastic person since the 1590s, and used as an adjective since the 1630s.
How can the word cynical be used in a sentence?
The word cynical is very common and can be sued in many different ways to describe people who are pessimistic or who believe that people only act in their own self interest. In this example, Riley and Fran have been working on their history project for hours and are nowhere near finished.
Fran: This is pointless. We are never going to finish in time. We should just give up now and accept failure.
Riley: Fran, you do not need to be acting in such a cynical way right now. We can do this. This project isn’t due for another six hours, and we have already made great progress. We just need to buckle down and get to work. We’ve got this.
Fran: There is no point. It is just going to look rushed. We’re going tog et a bad grade anyway, we might as well get some sleep.
Riley: If you are going to continue to be an unhelpful downer, then go to bed. But I’m going to keep working. And I can just tell Mr. Edwards that you only helped on half the project.
Here, Riley uses the word cynical to describe Fran’s poor attitude about the state and future of their history project.
What are synonyms and antonyms for the word cynical?
There are many different words that have the same meaning as the word cynical. These are known as synonyms. Synonyms are very useful to know if you are looking to expand your vocabulary or avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms for the word cynical is provided by Thesaurus.
- ironic
- derisive
- scoffing
- misanthropical
- sardonic
- suspicious
- doubtful
- contemptuous
- sneering
- unbelieving
- sarcastic
- skeptical
- nonbelieving
- mocking
- misanthropic
- wry
- pessimistic
- scornful
There are also many different words that have the opposite meaning as the word cynical. These words are known as antonyms. Antonyms are also very useful to know if you want to expand upon your knowledge of the English language or grammar. This list of antonyms for the word cynical is also provided by Thesaurus.
- buoyant
- on top of world
- cheerful
- high
- trusting
- promising
- rose-colored
- happy
- encouraged
- confident
- bright
- ray of sunshine
- positive
- assured
- hoping
- sunny
- merry
- optimistic
- utopian
- hopeful
- expectant
- on cloud nine
- cheering
- keeping the faith
- sanguine
- rosy
- idealistic
Overall, the word cynical is an adjective that is used to mean someone who is pessimistic or who believes that people only act for the good of themselves and not of others. A cynical person believes that people are only ever in things for themselves and that no one truly cares about the wellbeing of others.
Sources:
- https://www.wordsense.eu/cynical/
- https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/cynical
- https://www.etymonline.com/word/cynic#:~:text=cynic%20(n.),kwon%2D%20%22dog%22).
- https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/optimistic
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cynical#:~:text=cynical%2C%20misanthropic%2C%20pessimistic%20mean%20deeply,human%20beings%20and%20their%20society.
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/cynical
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- cynical
- [‘sɪnɪk(ə)l]
прил.
1)
а) циничный
a cynical foul — циничный фол
б) циничный
Since her divorce she’s become very cynical about men. — С тех пор как она разошлась с мужем, она считает, что все мужики сволочи.
Mr Murray’s character, a cynical, self-absorbed broadcaster, finds himself caught in a time warp. — Циничный, самовлюблённый телекомментатор, которого играет Мюррей, обнаруживает, что он застрял во времени.
2) скептический, сомневающийся, недоверчивый
Analysts remain cynical about whether these deals will pay off. — Аналитики по-прежнему сомневаются, что эти сделки окупятся.
3) издевательский, презрительный
He gave a cynical laugh at the blush which deepened the colour in her cheeks. — Увидев, что она покраснела от смущения, он презрительно ухмыльнулся.
4)
филос.
относящийся к учению циников
Англо-русский современный словарь.
2014.
Смотреть что такое «cynical» в других словарях:
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cynical — cynical, misanthropic, pessimistic, misogynic are comparable when meaning deeply and often contemptuously dis trustful. Cynical implies a sneering disbelief in sincerity and integrity {the ease with which she asserted or denied whatever suited… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
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cynical — [sin′i kəl] adj. [< L cynicus, of the Cynics: see CYNIC] 1. believing that people are motivated in all their actions only by selfishness; denying the sincerity of people s motives and actions, or the value of living 2. sarcastic, sneering, etc … English World dictionary
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cynical — I adjective acrimonious, apt to distrust, arrogant, caustic, cavalier, censorious, condemnatory, contemptuous, contumelious, critical, decrying, defamatory, defeatist, denunciatory, derisive, derogative, derogatory, despising, disapproving,… … Law dictionary
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cynical — 1580s, resembling Cynic philosophers, from CYNIC (Cf. cynic) + AL (Cf. al) (1). By late 17c. the meaning had shaded into the general one of critical, disparaging the motives of others, captious, sneering, peevish. Related: Cynically … Etymology dictionary
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cynical — [adj] nonbelieving; doubtful contemptuous, derisive, ironic, misanthropic, misanthropical, mocking, pessimistic, sarcastic, sardonic, scoffing, scornful, skeptical, sneering, suspicious, unbelieving, wry; concepts 267,403 Ant. believing, hopeful … New thesaurus
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cynical — ► ADJECTIVE 1) tending not to believe in the integrity or sincerity of others. 2) sceptical. 3) contemptuous; mocking. 4) concerned only with one s own interests. DERIVATIVES cynically adverb … English terms dictionary
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cynical — 01. Harvey is a very [cynical] guy who would never believe that anyone did anything out of generosity. 02. You are such a [cynic]! Don t you believe in anything? 03. Calvin s [cynical] view of the world has kept him from making many friends. 04.… … Grammatical examples in English
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Cynical — Cynic Cyn ic (s[i^]n [i^]k), Cynical Cyn ic*al ( [i^]*kal), a. [L. cynicus of the sect of Cynics, fr. Gr. kyniko s, prop., dog like, fr. ky wn, kyno s, dog. See {Hound}.] 1. Having the qualities of a surly dog; snarling; captious; currish. I hope … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
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cynical — adjective Date: 1542 1. captious, peevish 2. having or showing the attitude or temper of a cynic: as a. contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives < those cynical men who say that democracy cannot be honest and efficient … New Collegiate Dictionary
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cynical — cyn|i|cal [ sınıkl ] adjective * 1. ) someone who is cynical believes that people care only about themselves and are not sincere or honest 2. ) someone who is cynical expects things not to be successful or useful: cynical about: I know that some… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
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cynical — [[t]sɪ̱nɪk(ə)l[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED If you describe someone as cynical, you mean they believe that people always act selfishly. …his cynical view of the world. Ant: idealistic Derived words: cynically ADV GRADED ADV with v As a backpacker said… … English dictionary
What do we mean by cynical?
Believing or showing the belief that people are motivated chiefly by base or selfish concerns; skeptical of the motives of others. adjective
Selfishly or callously calculating. adjective
Negative or pessimistic, as from world-weariness. adjective
Expressing jaded or scornful skepticism or negativity. adjective
Same as cynic, 3.
Having or showing a disposition to disbelieve in or doubt the sincerity or value of social usages or of personal character, motives, or doings, and to express or intimate the disbelief or doubt by sarcasm, satire, sneers, or other in-direction; captious; carping; sarcastic; satirical: as, a cynical remark; a cynical smile.
Synonyms Pessimistic, etc. (see misanthropic), morose, sarcastic, satirical, carping, censorious, snappish, waspish.
Of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated only or primarily by base desires or selfishness. adjective
Skeptical of the integrity, sincerity, or motives of others. adjective
Bitterly or jadedly distrustful or contemptuous; mocking. adjective
Showing contempt for accepted moral standards by one’s actions. adjective
Like the actions of a snarling dog. adjective
Believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others adjective
Of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated only or primarily by base desires or selfishness.
Skeptical of the integrity, sincerity, or motives of others.
Bitterly or jadedly distrustful or contemptuous; mocking.
Showing contempt for accepted moral standards by one’s actions.
Like the actions of a snarling dog, especially in reference to facial nerve paralysis.
Not having any illusions about human nature. Urban Dictionary
A man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin. Urban Dictionary
1. To be critical or faultfinding for self-amusement. Urban Dictionary
Does not trust human nature Urban Dictionary
A seemingly appealing and useful way of thinking, the positive aspects of cynicism only overshadow the truth that cynics rarely get anything out of life with they way they think (despite believing quite the opposite). Normally accepting humanity as inherently evil, they define good and bad under broad, usually universal terms that immediately apply to everybody, no matter how generous, saintly, or selfless they are. Aestheticism, to a cynic, is not only a childish following, but one which all humans subconsciously live by. Assuming this, they are among a superior group of intellectuals who have «outfoxed» their fellow man. While it is a mark of maturity to be wary of certain people and situations, to think of the entire world as double-crossing greed mongering sinners whose every good deed has an ulterior motive is usually an adolescent stage of thinking that tends to get replaced as the person sees more of their world. Urban Dictionary
The adjective for an individual who attributes all actions to selfish motives. Becoming cynical comes from someone just not giving a damn about the rest of the human race and is recommended for all Americans. Urban Dictionary
The only way to be.
Look at how fuckin shitty everyone and everything is.
HOW could anyone NOT be cynical? Urban Dictionary
In modern culture, cynicism can be commonly seen throughout society.
Traits of Cynicism include:
-publicly displaying your ideas on philosophy
-complaining about the world.
-seeming dark and giving off a hopeless mood.
-losing hope in the world.
Note: For those young people that are cynical, don’t worry. You are nowhere near where you can spout out ideas on life and how shitty the world is. You’ll get the idea soon enough, and you will learn to appreciate the world for what it is, and try to live with the glass half-full.
You might still think that the world may be hopeless, and that may be true, but living with this as your way of life is unhealthy. So, get out and enjoy life while it lasts. You don’t want to grow old and think back saying «Well look at that.» So stop being so fucking pathetic, and with the «i’ve been there, done that» image. It’s really uncool, if you get it. Urban Dictionary
Apparently someone who doesn’t wish to be disappointed. But if they see the worst in everything, how can they be pleasently suprised? I don’t get cynicism. My ‘cynical’ friend said she doesn’t believe in love. But if you are that adamant something doesn’t exist, then you’ll never find it! Life is about romance and excitement, and it’s all there if you keep your chin up and seek it. I know bad things happen, but they happen to everyone. When you allow yourself to dwell on them, this is when you become a cynic. Urban Dictionary
Sarcastic, facetious, noticing Urban Dictionary
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- British
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
[ sin-i-kuhl ]
/ ˈsɪn ɪ kəl /
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
adjective
distrusting or disparaging the motives of others; like or characteristic of a cynic.
showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty or morality by one’s actions, especially by actions that exploit the scruples of others.
bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic.
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Origin of cynical
First recorded in 1580–90; cynic + -al1
synonym study for cynical
1, 3. Cynical, pessimistic, sarcastic, satirical imply holding a low opinion of humanity. Cynical suggests a disbelief in the sincerity of human motives: cynical about honesty. Pessimistic implies a more or less habitual disposition to look on the dark side of things, and to believe that the worst will happen: pessimistic as to the future. Sarcastic refers to sneering or making cutting jibes: sarcastic about a profession of faith. Satirical suggests expressing scorn or ridicule by saying the opposite of what one means: a satirical attack on his political promises.
OTHER WORDS FROM cynical
cyn·i·cal·ly, adverbcyn·i·cal·ness, nounan·ti·cyn·i·cal, adjectivean·ti·cyn·i·cal·ly, adverb
qua·si-cyn·i·cal, adjectivequa·si-cyn·i·cal·ly, adverbsem·i·cyn·i·cal, adjectivesem·i·cyn·i·cal·ly, adverbsu·per·cyn·i·cal, adjectivesu·per·cyn·i·cal·ly, adverbsu·per·cyn·i·cal·ness, nounun·cyn·i·cal, adjectiveun·cyn·i·cal·ly, adverb
Words nearby cynical
Cymru, Cymry, Cynewulf, cynghanedd, cynic, cynical, cynicism, cyno-, cynodont, cynophobia, cynopodous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to cynical
contemptuous, derisive, ironic, misanthropic, mocking, pessimistic, sarcastic, sardonic, scoffing, scornful, skeptical, sneering, suspicious, unbelieving, wry
How to use cynical in a sentence
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He writes that criticism of his performance on nursing homes was the organized and cynical work of Republicans looking to avoid accountability for their own failures in the face of the crisis.
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So she was “pretty cynical” when a friend invited her to be a private beta tester for a new social-media platform, Telepath, in March 2019.
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More recently, however, concerns about misinformation, disinformation, and worse have left many much more cynical.
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Then again, his theory for why it’s become a leaguewide trend is a more cynical one.
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I actually, despite being very cynical, I actually have a much more optimistic view of it.
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In Moscow, many people have grown cynical about the money evaporating in their pockets.
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“I hate to be cynical about it, but I think some of the films made are made very cynically,” she says.
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A cynical old Chicago lawyer once described this as the theory that “out of the clash of lies, truth will emerge.”
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Klein is simultaneously not only cynical about political leaders, but dismissive of them.
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At its worst, The Stranger merely recycles the biases, conventional wisdom, and cynical bitterness of inside-the-beltway habitués.
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Death, to do him justice, he had met with none of the cowardice he had vaunted, and consistently with his arid cynical soul.
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There was a quiet, cynical smile on his face as he sat there beating a tattoo on his leggings with a hickory twig.
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That gratitude is the expectation of favors to come was, in the case of Aristide, a cynical and inapplicable proposition.
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Something seemed to puzzle him, for he was frowning, but by and by the old cynical smile came back.
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His smile was cynical, and suggested a kind of contemptuous pity for the person to whom he spoke.
British Dictionary definitions for cynical
adjective
distrustful or contemptuous of virtue, esp selflessness in others; believing the worst of others, esp that all acts are selfish
sarcastic; mocking
showing contempt for accepted standards of behaviour, esp of honesty or moralitythe politician betrayed his promises in a cynical way
Derived forms of cynical
cynically, adverbcynicalness, noun
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Originated 1580–90 from cynic + -al.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /ˈsɪnɪkəl/
- Homophone: sinical
Adjective[edit]
cynical (comparative more cynical, superlative most cynical)
- Of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated only or primarily by base desires or selfishness.
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1755, Samuel Johnson, To the Earl of Chesterfield:
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I hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received.
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-
- Skeptical of the integrity, sincerity, or motives of others.
- Bitterly or jadedly distrustful or contemptuous; mocking.
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- He seldom talked, and when he did, it was usually to make some cynical remark-for instance, he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies.
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- Showing contempt for accepted moral standards by one’s actions.
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1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter X, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
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When he, at Neergard’s cynical suggestion, had consented to exploit his own club […] and had consented to resign from it to do so, he had every reason to believe that Neergard meant to either mulct them heavily or buy them out. In either case, having been useful to Neergard, his profits from the transaction would have been considerable.
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- (medicine, rare) Like the actions of a snarling dog, especially in reference to facial nerve paralysis.
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1818, Matthieu Joseph Bonaventure Orfila, A Treatise on Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal Poisons, Considered as to their Relations with Physiology, Pathology, and Medical Jurisprudence:
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Towards noon, he experienced convulsive movements; the extremities became stiff, the pulse extremely small, and he died during an attack of cynical spasm.
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1857, New Orleans Medical News and Hospital Gazette — Volume 3, page 278:
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On the contrary, in woman, the cynical spasm, though felt with as much, or even more violence than the other sex, is not followed with the same deleterious effects, and may be repeated much oftener without any unfavorable consequences.
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1986, Giuseppe Roccatagliata, A History of Ancient Psychiatry, page 125:
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Demetrius Attalicus studied the symptomatologies due to strictura cerebri, characterized by a cynical spasm of the facial nerve.
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2009, Hilary Evans & Robert E. Bartholomew, Outbreak!: The Encyclopedia of Extraordinary Social Behavior, →ISBN:
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Something of the same sort happened at Hensberg, Germany, where the nuns were afflicted and committed the sin they called “the silent sin.” In their ecstasies, their convulsions were very violent and interspersed with “cynical movements of the pelvis.”
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Translations[edit]
of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
- Arabic: سَاخِر (sāḵir)
- Armenian: ցինիկ (hy) (cʿinik)
- Belarusian: цыні́чны (cyníčny)
- Bulgarian: цини́чен (bg) (ciníčen)
- Catalan: cínic
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 玩世不恭 (zh) (wánshìbùgōng)
- Czech: cynický (cs)
- Danish: kynisk
- Dutch: cynisch (nl)
- Finnish: kyyninen (fi)
- French: cynique (fr)
- Galician: cínico (gl)
- German: zynisch (de)
- Greek: κυνικός (el) (kynikós), ωμός (el) (omós)
- Italian: cinico (it)
- Japanese: 皮肉な (ja) (ひにくな, hiniku na)
- Korean: 냉소적(冷笑的) (naengsojeok), 랭소적(冷笑的) (raengsojeok) (North Korea)
- Macedonian: циничен (ciničen)
- Malay: sinis
- Maori: pūhohe
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: kynisk (no)
- Nynorsk: kynisk
- Polish: cyniczny (pl)
- Portuguese: cínico (pt)
- Romanian: cinic (ro)
- Russian: цини́чный (ru) (ciníčnyj)
- Scottish Gaelic: dranndanach, searbhasach
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: цѝничан
- Roman: cìničan (sh)
- Slovak: cynický
- Slovene: ciničen (sl)
- Spanish: cínico (es)
- Swedish: cynisk (sv)
- Turkish: küçümseyici (tr), sinik (tr), kinik (tr)
- Ukrainian: цині́чний (cyníčnyj)
References[edit]
- “cynical”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
- “cynical”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- «cynical» in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.
- cynical at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams[edit]
- calycin
someone who always expects the worst and most selfish motives out of everyone and everything. Otherwise known as experienced.
1. These charity adverts are a great way to fleece you for all your money. Those dudes living in mud was probably 50 years ago. They have schools now. And a sewerage treatment place.
2. Disneyland is great but I’m not waiting 2 hours to see »sleeping beauty». She’s either made of plastic or some lazy cow who’s paid to sleep in all day. Besides, one floor is hardly impressive for a castle.
The above are cynical examples.
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One who knows the truth about human nature and motives. May be labeled as distrustful or paranoid by naive people.
Someone who is butthurt doesn’t qualify as cynical. Neither does someone who is jaded.
I never trust strangers I meet over the Internet with personal data, no matter how unimportant said data is, call me cynical.
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1. An adjective describing a person with sarcastic, witty, quirky, pessimistic who rejects all conventions, whether of religion, manners, housing, dress, or decency, advocating the pursuit of virtue in a simple and unmaterialistic lifestyle.
2. An individual in Urban Dictionary who likes to stir the turd and add sarcastic, funny, and/or assholey defenitions.
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The most misused word on the internet.
To be cynical is to tend to view people as by their own self-interest.
Not to be confused with pessimism, which is a tendency to believe that a bad outcome is more likely than a good one.
Also, not to be confused with skepticism, which is when you would doubt the truth of something and demand evidence.
Person 1: I’m cynical about the future.
Person 2: You mean pessimistic, right?
Person 1: Pessimistic! Yes, sorry, that’s what I meant.
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If you think public officials are nothing but a bunch of greedy buffoons, you have a cynical attitude about politics.
A cynical person has a bleak outlook about others, always imagining that people are ruled by their worst instincts. H.L. Mencken was famous for saying cynical things like, «Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.» The original Cynics were ancient Greek philosophers who never had a good word to say about anyone. The Greek word kynikos actually means «canine,» maybe because all of that sneering seemed a little dog-like.
Definitions of cynical
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adjective
believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others
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synonyms:
misanthropic, misanthropical
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distrustful
having or showing distrust
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distrustful
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What does the word cynical mean?
-a) Who, with deeds and words, flaunts contempt and mocking indifference towards the ideals, or conventions, of the society in which he lives; who does not blush for anything, impudent, cheeky: he is a c.; don’t be cynical.
How does a cynical person behave?
A cynic is a critical and skeptical person who deviates from the normal propensity for enthusiasm. Cold and calculating, he is inclined to calculate his own moves and those of others. Not only to keep one’s level of suspicion «high», but to maintain one’s self-centered and manipulative position.
What is the opposite of cynical?
Dictionaries menu
agg-sm insensitive, impassive, indifferent, cold | impudent, mocking, cheeky, contemptuous, unscrupulous, biting, skeptical. against interested, involved, attentive | considerate, respectful, thoughtful.
Who was part of the cynical school?
for some, the cynics were the followers of the philosophical school founded by the Socratic thinkers Antisthenes of Athens and Diogenes of Sinope in the fourth century BC (many cynics of the first century AD and later, in fact, considered Antisthenes and / or Diogenes the founders of their school, if not, through their mere intercession …
What does cynicism hide?
“Cynicism is a contemptuously contemptuous and contemptuous attitude towards the norms of public morality, cultural values and ideas of decency, a nihilistic attitude towards the generally accepted norms of morality and towards the dogmas of prevailing ideology.
The cynicism and the cynics
Find 35 related questions
Why is a person cynical?
The cynical person tries to hide his emotions at all costs, but often with this attitude he tries only to defend himself from a reality from which he has felt repeatedly disappointed, hurt and misled. Relationship difficulties trigger loneliness and isolation.
Who was he who was looking for the man with the lantern?
Because it is said that once he went out in broad daylight with a lantern in his hand and to anyone who asked him why he acted in this way, he replied: «I’m looking for the man!». Diogenes was looking for someone who was truly capable of living according to his true nature, without conventions and whims, and therefore being happy.
How is freedom conceived by cynical philosophers?
The ideal of freedom outlined by cynicism is reworked by Aristippus of Cyrene (435 BC — 360 BC) not as a detachment from one’s own needs but as a detachment from things and from political life (eleuqeria).
Who said I’m looking for the man?
Diogenes Laertius tells us that once he decided to take a lantern in broad daylight and go around. When asked why he did this «oddity» he replied: I’m looking for the man.
What is the opposite of nihilism?
nullism. ↓ pessimism. nihilism (not com.
What is the noun for contemptuous?
[full of haughtiness and disdain at the same time: having, keeping a sane demeanor.] ≈ haughty, haughty, haughty, disdainful, (lit.) pavonesco, disdainful, (iron.) Spanish, snooty, (Tuscan)
Unforgiving synonyms?
≈ merciful, meek. ↔ hard, merciless, relentless, inexorable, rigorous, severe. ↑ relentless, ruthless.
Who went around with the lantern?
According to the Greek historian Laertius, Plato called Diogenes «a maddened Socrates». Some anecdotes report that the philosopher, in broad daylight, used to wander along the streets of the cities with a lit lantern. To anyone who asked him what he was looking for, he replied stating that he was looking for the man.
What does Diogenes mean?
Diogenes: meaning of the name, curiosity, name day. The name has Greek origin and means ‘words of Jupiter’, that is ‘son of God’. The name day is celebrated on April 5 in memory of Saint Diogenes martyr with Saint Timothy in Macedonia in 350.
What does Diogenes’ self-sufficiency indicate?
The term autarchy, from the ancient Greek αὐτάρκεια, «self-sufficiency», composed of αὐτός «himself» and ἀρκέω «suffice», in philosophy assumes importance above all in the Cyrenaic school where it expresses the ideal of «being self-sufficient», being masters of oneself , trying to depend as little as possible on the conditioning of things …
What are the minor schools derived from Socratic thought?
Antisthenes and cynicism
His school was indicated with the term cynical, precisely because kyon in Greek means dog, and therefore living like dogs represents living in freedom. This concept will be taken up by Diogenes, who is defined as ascetic and cynical.
What is the name of the school founded by Plato?
̕Ακαδήμεια or ̕Ακαδημία was the name of a place not far from Athens, near which Plato began his teaching around 387 BC; he also bought land there, from which the philosophical school he founded took the name of the Platonic Academy, which he maintained even after his transfer to Athens.
What does it mean to search with the lantern?
What does the expression «Cercà cor lanternino» mean?
The expression «Search with the lantern» means looking for something difficult to find.
What does the phrase if you look for trouble with the lantern mean?
Looking with the lantern therefore means looking for something with scruple, care, meticulousness, patience, even fussyness; in an ironic sense, however, the search with the lantern often leads to run into trouble, annoyances, headaches, in short, getting into trouble hoping to get out of it always having the …
Who lived inside a barrel?
According to anecdotes, Diogenes ate in public, lived in a barrel, defecated in the public theater, and did not hesitate to openly insult his interlocutors. Diogenes also performed sexual acts in public.
Who is it that does not forgive?
Whoever does not forgive denies God’s forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is already given, he always remains a merciful Father, but he becomes operative and effective only when he is transformed and translated into forgiveness towards others.
How do you define who does not forgive?
≈ cruel, inhuman, ferocious, merciless, inexorable, (ant.) Nequitous. ↔ benign, gracious, compassionate, merciful, compassionate, human. b.
Britannica Dictionary definition of CYNICAL
[more cynical; most cynical]
1
:
believing that people are generally selfish and dishonest
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Cynical people say there is no such thing as true love.
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People are so cynical nowadays.
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She’s become more cynical in her old age.
— often + about
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He’s cynical about marriage.
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Many young people today are cynical about politics.
2
:
selfish and dishonest in a way that shows no concern about treating other people fairly
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Some people regard the governor’s visit to the hospital as a cynical attempt to win votes.
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We live in a cruel, cynical [=uncaring] world.
— cynically
/ˈsɪnɪkli/
adverb
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The character talks cynically about love.