Synonyms of cynical

cynical

adjective

ˈsi-ni-kəl 

as in pessimistic

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pessimistic
• sarcastic
• negative
• misanthropic
• ironic
• skeptical
• suspicious
• sardonic
• negativistic
• mocking
• derisive
• fatalistic
• distrustful
• mistrustful
• scornful
• defeatist
• jaded
• negativist
• worldly-wise
• unsentimental
• sophisticated
• hard-bitten
• hard-edged
• hard-boiled
• hardcase

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• optimistic
• positive
• cheerful
• naive
• trustful
• trusting
• unsuspicious
• uncynical
• positivistic
• positivist
• unsophisticated
• ingenuous
• idealistic
• innocent
• romantic
• impractical
• sentimental
• saccharine
• sappy
• rose-colored
• mushy
• maudlin

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective cynical differ from other similar words?

The words misanthropic and pessimistic are common synonyms of cynical. While all three words mean "deeply distrustful," cynical implies having a sneering disbelief in sincerity or integrity.

cynical about politicians' motives

When is misanthropic a more appropriate choice than cynical?

Although the words misanthropic and cynical have much in common, misanthropic suggests a rooted distrust and dislike of human beings and their society.

a solitary and misanthropic artist

In what contexts can pessimistic take the place of cynical?

In some situations, the words pessimistic and cynical are roughly equivalent. However, pessimistic implies having a gloomy, distrustful view of life.

pessimistic about the future

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cynical

No formations, no expected goals, just unadulterated, cynical judgment from someone who needs a break from complaining about the Giants’ bullpen. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 June 2026

By the moment, midway through the show, when one hockey player tells another that safety is a cornerstone of female desire, my eyes were rolling around in my head with cynical abandon. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

This is not, however, to say that The Federalist is a cynical work. —Jordan Cash, The Conversation, 8 June 2026

There’s a cynical side of me that wonders what the odds are that the Jets’ solution to player development just so happens to be a former Jet. —Murat Ates, New York Times, 5 June 2026

Video

The History of 'Cynic'

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.