as in misanthrope
a person who distrusts other people and believes that everything is done for selfish reasons
a cynic who believes that nobody does a good deed without expecting something in return
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Recent Examples of cynic
Anyone below Soler would have annoyed the cynics just as much as Canha.
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Grant Brisbee, The Athletic, 31 July 2024
Studies suggest cynics are often more depressed, heavier drinkers and lower earners than noncynics.
—Alyssa Bereznak, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024
The research showed that 70% believed cynics would outperform non-cynics on cognitive tasks.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
This stereotype reveals what most people believe: that cynics are smarter than non-cynics.
—Jamil Zaki, TIME, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cynic 
Grant Brisbee, The Athletic, 31 July 2024
Studies suggest cynics are often more depressed, heavier drinkers and lower earners than noncynics.
—Alyssa Bereznak, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024
The research showed that 70% believed cynics would outperform non-cynics on cognitive tasks.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
This stereotype reveals what most people believe: that cynics are smarter than non-cynics.
—Jamil Zaki, TIME, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cynic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynic
Noun
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Misery loves company; a misanthrope, however, does not.David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2025
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Their characters, a panoply of misanthropes and weirdos, are often trapped in the prisons of their past.Holden Seidlitz, The New Yorker, 10 June 2024
Noun
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Simitis’ critics on the right and left did their best to denigrate his legacy, highlighting a dubious debt swap concluded after the country had joined the Eurozone as an attempt to massage the debt numbers.Demetris Nellas, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2025
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Several guests approached Caspar—Simon and Richard, two of Galina’s former colleagues in the English department, and Elaine, a literary critic.Brandon Taylor, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Even as Ukrainians remained mostly optimistic about their country’s future, the proportion of pessimists had also grown to 28 percent from 19 percent in December 2023.Anton Grushetskyi, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
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Challenging pessimists on their investments is somewhat of a cheap shot.Bill Conerly, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Despite a naysayers in DC, the public has embraced wed in a big way In 2012 Washington and Colorado legalized weed for recreational use, since then 22 more states have followed and 38 states have medical marijuana.Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2024
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Some naysayers will no doubt decry the pay increase pointing out the lagging standardized test scores and lower graduation rates of students in Baltimore City Public Schools but that is exactly the point.Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In the face of political opposition, Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel waged a public relations campaign to win over skeptics.Richard Escobedo, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2025
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Biotech could be a proving ground for the practicality of quantum computing, which some skeptics say has been hyped, like AI.Felix Salmon, Axios, 3 Jan. 2025
Video
The History of 'Cynic'
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
Thesaurus Entries Near cynic
Cite this Entry
“Cynic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynic. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
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