as in ironical
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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Recent Examples of cynical
The director plays up the humor a lot more than Westlake’s callously cynical prose, for better or worse.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
When the fortune teller’s predictions start to materialize, once cynical Gemma is ready to take a leap of faith.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 30 Sep. 2025
While some provide a more immersive experience than the original, others clearly lack any substantial improvements and are mostly content to be cynical cash grabs.
—George Yang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
The stakes are relatively low, and the childhood wonder may not work for more cynical adult viewers, but Skeleton Crew is a solid example of Star Wars' unlimited potential to tell all kinds of stories without having to relate everything back to the Skywalker Saga.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynical
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
When the fortune teller’s predictions start to materialize, once cynical Gemma is ready to take a leap of faith.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 30 Sep. 2025
While some provide a more immersive experience than the original, others clearly lack any substantial improvements and are mostly content to be cynical cash grabs.
—George Yang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
The stakes are relatively low, and the childhood wonder may not work for more cynical adult viewers, but Skeleton Crew is a solid example of Star Wars' unlimited potential to tell all kinds of stories without having to relate everything back to the Skywalker Saga.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynical
Adjective
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Another thing that stands out in the series is its voiceover, which can be highly ironic or poetic and but also draws through lines from the present and future.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
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And somehow in this new chapter of my life, calling myself Sarah Sauce just felt so funny and ironic to me.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As a model named Carl, stuck in a relationship corrupted by microcelebrity and Instagram view counts, Dickinson ticks with exasperation and sarcastic logic, his jaw clenched, his eyes wide and staring.—
Carrie Battan,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
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Following the mother-daughter duo of Lorelai Gilmore, played by Lauren Graham, and Rory, played by Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls was perfectly made for millennials, packed with wistful romances, frustrating dramatic turns and just enough sarcastic jokes.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The pessimistic version, though?—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
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So why doesn’t Logano just conform to the more pessimistic outlook instead of trying to infuse others with brightness?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Police said that the driver sustained minor injuries and tested negative for any alcohol.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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According to Sports Talk Media Network on X, Swinney revealed that X-rays for Sadler were negative.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With the brutal murderer targeting his police colleagues, Thomas makes a desperate gamble, turning to a once well-regarded but now out of favour, misanthropic ex-detective for help.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
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Wood starred as hopeless romantic Chelsea, who was on vacation with her older, misanthropic boyfriend Rick (Walton Goggins).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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Another notable Wall Street analyst, LightShed’s Rich Greenfield, is similarly skeptical of a Netflix deal for WB.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
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Analysts are skeptical over whether the Gaza peace agreement — which calls for a full disarmament of Hamas, among other vexxing issues — will be fully implemented, even as its initial phase looked to be unfolding as hoped.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 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
“Cynical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynical. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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