as in desperation
cynical beliefs; beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest
Nothing could change her cynicism about politics.
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Recent Examples of cynicism
Released during Obama’s first term, this movie’s cynicism didn’t go over super-well; the film’s negative reviews were particularly hard on the idea that maybe Democrats and Republicans can both be bad.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The news of the Angels slowing down Grayson Rodriguez because of soreness was greeted with cynicism around baseball because Rodriguez has been through so many serious injuries.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026
But that reality — and cynicism like Cronenberg’s — keeps me sane.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
But such is the startling sophistication of artificial intelligence, and the reckless abandon with which it is deployed to deceive online, cynicism seems a healthy side-dish to many viral moments.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The news of the Angels slowing down Grayson Rodriguez because of soreness was greeted with cynicism around baseball because Rodriguez has been through so many serious injuries.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026
But that reality — and cynicism like Cronenberg’s — keeps me sane.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
But such is the startling sophistication of artificial intelligence, and the reckless abandon with which it is deployed to deceive online, cynicism seems a healthy side-dish to many viral moments.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynicism
Noun
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Whether firing Cassidy was an act of desperation or necessity or somewhere in between, all the focus will be on Tortorella's ability to maximize what management clearly believes is a roster capable of competing for a championship.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Blackouts and economic collapse have sparked widespread desperation in Cuba, with citizens openly protesting the government despite decades of political repression.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Relieved of their blindfolds, the men now wore heavy rucksacks filled with colored rocks representing their anger (red), guilt and shame (black), and sadness (blue).—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Reaction to the news Monday that the Connecticut Sun WNBA team is officially being moved to Houston was of sadness and regret in Connecticut, especially amongst those who had tried to keep the professional women’s basketball team in the state over the last year.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The festival hopes to encourage artists and fans to turn to comedy, theater, creativity and community instead of despair.—
Candace Hansen,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Resisting despair, both private and social, has long been central to Lerner’s mission.—
Giles Harvey,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Indeed, in Iran the slaughter of protesters by the Iranian Republican guards filled me with sorrow and outrage.—
Dr. Michael Good,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
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As the communities in Maui continue to rebuild their homes and their lives two years after the wildfires killed 102 people, the flooding added to the sorrow.—
Matt Gutman,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Amid the doom and gloom of news coverage, audiences are hungry for wholesome feel-good content like animal videos.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
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According to Cramer, the street chose to focus on the doom and gloom of rising oil prices, disregarding Wednesday's pullback.—
Natasha Abellard,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For her and many other Iranians who spoke to CNN – their surnames withheld to protect their identities – the past three weeks have been filled with a sense of hopelessness and fear.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
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Depression and hopelessness are at their highest ever measured.—
Ariel David,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The closest the Genesee came to pessimism was a Dylan T-shirt or two in the lobby with a skeleton wearing a top hat.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Since then, oil markets have been on a roller coaster, rising up and down alongside pessimism and optimism for a quick end to the war.—
Stephan Bisaha,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The film’s empathetic interest in individual, often eccentric human lives gives it a warmth that overrides the underlying melancholy of the material, making for a pleasingly unsentimental crowdpleaser.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
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Some acknowledged the possibility that melancholy could be inherited.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cynicism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynicism. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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