as in ironical
having or showing a deep distrust of human beings and their motives
so cynical that he can't understand why anyone would volunteer to help out at a homeless shelter
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Recent Examples of cynical
Ari Tan) Bitter after losing his job, Jonathan recruits a down-on-her-luck actress and a cynical playboy to aid in his journey from Mexico to Panama before spinal surgery.
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Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 May 2025
But Kat's world is soon turned upside down by Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), an edgy new student who challenges her cynical views.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 9 May 2025
Millay’s sonnets reckon with the end of love not in a spirit of swooning regret but with brisk, sometimes cynical acceptance.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 1 May 2025
These final years are sometimes treated as a lost period, because Twain’s writing grew bitter and cynical and unpalatable to those more interested in pleasing escapades.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 May 2025
But Kat's world is soon turned upside down by Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), an edgy new student who challenges her cynical views.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 9 May 2025
Millay’s sonnets reckon with the end of love not in a spirit of swooning regret but with brisk, sometimes cynical acceptance.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 1 May 2025
These final years are sometimes treated as a lost period, because Twain’s writing grew bitter and cynical and unpalatable to those more interested in pleasing escapades.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynical
Adjective
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And if later Destinations would perfect the whole falling-dominos-of-death thing, did any of them pull off a more iconic, ironic jolt than poor Terry fatally failing to look both ways?—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
19 May 2025
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That such a straightforwardly earnest candidate would emerge as a favorite of the downtown world may seem unlikely: This set has been characterized as everything from reactionary to right-wing, and above all, governed by a certain ironic sensibility.—
Joseph Bernstein,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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While the jeers towards Xhaka followed the midfielder, Arsenal’s captain at the time, retaliating to sarcastic cheers from the crowd at him being replaced in an October 2019 home match against Crystal Palace, those directed at Eboue were due to his performance.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
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His first half was littered with increasingly ridiculous highlights: a lefty hook over Isaiah Hartenstein, a potpourri of 3s with hands in his face, a sarcastic stare-down after his defender tried taking a charge, followed by a pass to himself off the backboard to simplify the finish.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Democrats in March hit an all-time low in polling and remain pessimistic about the party’s future, according to a new survey this month.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
29 May 2025
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Unlike many pessimistic voices, Bocco refused to concede that theatrical is becoming a niche business that exists to feed streaming.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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The only negative in a sublime opening period for Florida was Sam Reinhart leaving with an apparent knee injury after enduring a questionable hip-check hit from Sebastian Aho that the league should take a look at.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2025
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Once a loan is 90 days past due, the loan servicer reports the delinquency to the credit reporting bureaus, which can lower the borrower’s credit score and leave a negative mark on their credit report.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Brief yet dense and full of misanthropic humor, Portal holds the hell up nearly twenty years later.—
Joshua Rivera,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
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To describe Mickey 17 as a sendup, by the way, is to distinguish it from satire, which would require a deeper cynicism or genuine misanthropic disdain.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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These regions were often skeptical of centralized power, and reformers pushed for tools like the initiative and referendum to give citizens a way to bypass political machines and corporate influence.—
Jeremy Kohler,
ProPublica,
30 May 2025
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It will be decided on by a conservative-majority Supreme Court that has been skeptical of considerations of race in public life.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
Video
The History of 'Cynic'
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
Cite this Entry
“Cynical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynical. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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