as in misanthrope
a person who distrusts other people and believes that everything is done for selfish reasons
a cynic who believes that nobody does a good deed without expecting something in return
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cynic
In the verses, Bradley Cooper and Gaga’s lyrics and vocal lines are mirrored — two world-weary cynics serenading each other.
—
Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
But, to the cynics, it could be twisted as a sign that Åberg isn’t wired like the great competitors in sports.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Similarly to her dad, Abby tries to bring order to her crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), a character from the original series.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 May 2025
Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2013 graphic lesbian love story Blue Is the Warmest Color confounded cynics by winning over a jury headed by, of all people, Steven Spielberg.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynic
Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
But, to the cynics, it could be twisted as a sign that Åberg isn’t wired like the great competitors in sports.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Similarly to her dad, Abby tries to bring order to her crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), a character from the original series.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 May 2025
Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2013 graphic lesbian love story Blue Is the Warmest Color confounded cynics by winning over a jury headed by, of all people, Steven Spielberg.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynic
Noun
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The moment in the special is about transformation: how even an icy misanthrope can thaw with a bit of generosity and effort.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 July 2025
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Edward is a misanthrope and a scold (The Imitation Game).—
Graham Hillard,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Because critics of social justice tend to inhabit the exact professional milieu where social justice has been most thoroughly integrated with the endless pursuit of profit.—
Book Marks
August 7,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
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Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer’s new action-comedy The Pickup is getting a harsh reception from Rotten Tomatoes critics.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Optimists showed greater differences in neural patterns when thinking of positive events versus negative events, compared to pessimists.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 July 2025
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The researchers also found that optimistic people showed bigger differences between brain patterns for emotionally positive and negative events than pessimists did.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
21 July 2025
Noun
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This will likely please more crowds and silence more naysayers than many IP movies that have been released in theaters this summer.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
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Let the doubt of the naysayers echo in your ears and drive you harder.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 July 2025
Noun
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More than that, such skeptics ask, what other nation on earth is expected to provide humanitarian aid to its enemy during wartime?—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2025
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The picnic seems to have swayed some — but certainly not all — Highland Park skeptics.—
Nick Woltman,
Twin Cities,
3 Aug. 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
“Cynic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynic. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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