cynicism

noun

cyn·​i·​cism ˈsi-nə-ˌsi-zəm 

1

Cynicism : the doctrine of the Cynics (see cynic sense 2)

2

: cynical attitude or quality

Nothing could change her cynicism about politics.

also : a cynical comment or act

pungent cynicisms

Examples of cynicism in a Sentence

Nothing could change her cynicism about politics.

Recent Examples on the Web

This journalistic cynicism amid government ham-handedness shattered something precious too. —Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026

And underlying them all is an unexpectedly sincere exploration of what true love can or should feel like, pitched right on the knife’s edge between sentimentality and cynicism. —Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026

Michael McKenzie plays Patrick Salamon, narrator and brother of Marcelle, and McKenzie is a standout, capturing both cynicism and wit. —Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026

But we’re invited to see him as, despite these foibles, amusing and retaining, and his cynicism about everything and his lack of moral scruple is—actually, we’re invited to see this as a kind of higher wisdom. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see cynic

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cynicism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

Kids Definition

cynicism

noun

cyn·​i·​cism ˈsin-ə-ˌsiz-əm 

: a cynical attitude or quality

also : an expression of cynical quality