Definition of CYNICAL (original) (raw)
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
Examples of cynical in a Sentence
… 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.
Recent Examples on the Web Being cynical may seem harmless, or even safer than trusting others, but that’s far from the truth, according to Jamil Zaki, an associate professor of psychology at Stanford University. —Renée Onque, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2024 With a cast of ridiculously hormonal supporting characters and a cynical yet zippy sense of humor, director Robert Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale disrupt the squeaky-clean image of postwar Americana. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 11 Aug. 2024 Jane counters Loyd’s psychological counseling with a cynical worldview and generational indictments. —Frank Rizzo, Variety, 31 July 2024 The world has grown cynical about the integrity of major international sports, and not without reason. —Andy Spalding, The Conversation, 9 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cynical 
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 19 Sep. 2024.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on cynical
Last Updated: 16 Sep 2024 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!