noun
-
the attitude or beliefs of a cynic
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a cynical action, remark, idea, etc
noun
Other Word Forms
- anticynicism noun
Etymology
Origin of cynicism
Explanation
Cynicism is the feeling of distrust or that something isn't going to work out well. Some people feel cynicism when politicians make big promises. To pronounce cynicism, place the accent on the first syllable: "SIH-nuh-cih-zum." You might associate cynicism with sarcasm. Cynicism comes from believing that people are, at heart, selfish and untrustworthy. Sarcasm is the expression of negative feelings like cynicism, by expressing, for dramatic effect, the opposite of what is meant: "I'm quite sure that politician took that bribe by mistake. We all know how easy it is to overlook the sudden appearance of $2 million dollars in your checking account."
Vocabulary lists containing cynicism
Grade 10, List 1
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President Obama's Farewell Address
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1984
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For other companies, “no AI” disclaimers are less mission statements than appeals to consumers who have developed a certain cynicism regarding the use of generative tools.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
"There is a degree of scepticism, or even downright cynicism, creeping in at the edges," he says.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
I left that and struggled for years with the standard outcomes of intense combat service mixed with a total disillusionment and cynicism around the wars that I fought in.
From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026
Van Der Beek wades through all of the screenplay’s cynicism in search of something deeper and more complicated — something human.
From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026
My cynicism had been known, from time to time, to get me into accidental trouble.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
