as in ironic
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cynical
That didn’t happen, not least because of the cynical fecklessness of regional powers.
—
Juan Pablo Spinetto, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
But cynical calculation gives way to transformative sense of purpose and perhaps redemption.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Dilbert was joined by a cast of recognizable office stereotypes, including the underappreciated Alice, cynical Wally, and the ineffective Pointy-Haired Boss.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
Overall, the county’s business community is feeling cynical about the state of the economy, with two-thirds of merchants reporting a negative future outlook, the study’s authors said.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Juan Pablo Spinetto, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
But cynical calculation gives way to transformative sense of purpose and perhaps redemption.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Dilbert was joined by a cast of recognizable office stereotypes, including the underappreciated Alice, cynical Wally, and the ineffective Pointy-Haired Boss.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
Overall, the county’s business community is feeling cynical about the state of the economy, with two-thirds of merchants reporting a negative future outlook, the study’s authors said.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynical
Adjective
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Silence has been an important part of my life, ironic for a man who has seen so much that is without quiet.—
Chick Pritchard,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
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But Fishman and Redford are far more interested in whiz-bang filters and digital effects, distractions to appeal to short-form entertainment devotees, which had the ironic side effect of wildly shortening my interest.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Tom Lester played Eb Dawson, the Douglases' sarcastic young farmhand.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
25 Jan. 2026
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The worse things are going, the more bitter and sarcastic my humor sometimes gets.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Over the last several years, inflation, domestic conflict, economic uncertainty, and political upheaval have made many Americans feel more pessimistic about the future.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
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Glaucon’s characterization anticipates the Hobbesian view of the world—pessimistic and fearful of what unsocialized humans in the state of nature can do to each other.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
Washington Post,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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What is, perhaps, a surprise is seeing a long-term trend, particularly apparent on decadal timescales, that tends towards a brighter (more negative) visual magnitude.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
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The prior year featured consistently modest gains and several months of negative growth for payrolls.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Trilogy is disturbing and alluring, with its ghostly production and chillingly misanthropic undercurrent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
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Avi Schiffmann, the company’s 23-year-old CEO, has been cast as a misanthropic tech founder emblematic of Silicon Valley’s ills.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Overall, the five-member panel of justices appeared skeptical of the prosecution’s arguments on those points.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Some fans can get skeptical when their favorite artists incorporate more Christian-adjacent messaging in their music.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
11 Feb. 2026
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 19 Feb. 2026.
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