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
The interior dining room, divided into two levels and connected by a slowly sloping ramp, could at first cynical glance register as backdrop.
—
Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
But while not cynical about the actions taken on Kenmure Street, Sierra is wise to not make his inspirational doc an entirely utopian vision of its setting.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2026
This adaptation of the popular RPG could have been a cynical cash grab, but writer-directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley chose the right approach by crafting a loving tribute to what makes the game so addictive without taking it too seriously.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
Daria The monotone, cynical, ultimate critic of suburban life, popularity, and high school.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
But while not cynical about the actions taken on Kenmure Street, Sierra is wise to not make his inspirational doc an entirely utopian vision of its setting.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2026
This adaptation of the popular RPG could have been a cynical cash grab, but writer-directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley chose the right approach by crafting a loving tribute to what makes the game so addictive without taking it too seriously.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
Daria The monotone, cynical, ultimate critic of suburban life, popularity, and high school.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynical
Adjective
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Luge is the most dangerous of the three sliding sports (bobsled and skeleton are the others) — ironic because athletes in that event actually have the most control.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Then in an ironic twist, Jones and Towns bumped heads as the All-Star center tried to drive on Jones.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 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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Mounting layoff announcements in the past year, combined with the government’s own sluggish labor market reports, has left Americans increasingly pessimistic about the economy.—
Matt Ott,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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But people who do think AI will tend to reduce job availability in their field are even more pessimistic about the prospect of finding a job.—
Anthony Salvanto,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Ware finished the defeat with a negative plus/minus of minus 12.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
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But his moves did little to stem the flow of negative headlines.—
Max Foster,
CNN Money,
4 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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Cruz, who was skeptical of having the subsidy administered by police, said neither Noecker nor Bowie alerted him about Wednesday’s public hearing despite his outreach to both members.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2026
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Kates said users should be skeptical of anything that sounds too easy or too good to be true.—
Joshua Sidorowicz,
CBS News,
6 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 9 Feb. 2026.
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