cynical

[ sin-i-kuhl ]

adjective

1. distrusting or disparaging the motives of others; like or characteristic of a cynic.

   Antonyms: optimistic

2. showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty or morality by one's actions, especially by actions that exploit the scruples of others.
3. bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic.

   Antonyms: optimistic

4. (initial capital letter) cynic ( def 5 ).

cynical

/ ˈsɪnɪkəl /

adjective

1. distrustful or contemptuous of virtue, esp selflessness in others; believing the worst of others, esp that all acts are selfish
2. sarcastic; mocking
3. showing contempt for accepted standards of behaviour, esp of honesty or morality

   the politician betrayed his promises in a cynical way

Derived Forms

• ˈcynically, adverb
• ˈcynicalness, noun

Other Words From

• cyni·cal·ly adverb
• cyni·cal·ness noun
• anti·cyni·cal adjective
• anti·cyni·cal·ly adverb
• quasi-cyni·cal adjective
• quasi-cyni·cal·ly adverb
• semi·cyni·cal adjective
• semi·cyni·cal·ly adverb
• super·cyni·cal adjective
• super·cyni·cal·ly adverb
• super·cyni·cal·ness noun
• un·cyni·cal adjective
• un·cyni·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cynical¹

First recorded in 1580–90; cynic + -al ¹

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

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.

From ProPublica

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.

From MIT Technology Review

More recently, however, concerns about misinformation, disinformation, and worse have left many much more cynical.

From Fortune

Then again, his theory for why it’s become a leaguewide trend is a more cynical one.

From FiveThirtyEight

I actually, despite being very cynical, I actually have a much more optimistic view of it.

From Freakonomics

In Moscow, many people have grown cynical about the money evaporating in their pockets.

From The Daily Beast

“I hate to be cynical about it, but I think some of the films made are made very cynically,” she says.

From The Daily Beast

A cynical old Chicago lawyer once described this as the theory that “out of the clash of lies, truth will emerge.”

From The Daily Beast

Klein is simultaneously not only cynical about political leaders, but dismissive of them.

From The Daily Beast

At its worst, The Stranger merely recycles the biases, conventional wisdom, and cynical bitterness of inside-the-beltway habitués.

From The Daily Beast

Death, to do him justice, he had met with none of the cowardice he had vaunted, and consistently with his arid cynical soul.

From Project Gutenberg

There was a quiet, cynical smile on his face as he sat there beating a tattoo on his leggings with a hickory twig.

From Project Gutenberg

That gratitude is the expectation of favors to come was, in the case of Aristide, a cynical and inapplicable proposition.

From Project Gutenberg

Something seemed to puzzle him, for he was frowning, but by and by the old cynical smile came back.

From Project Gutenberg

His smile was cynical, and suggested a kind of contemptuous pity for the person to whom he spoke.

From Project Gutenberg