as in desperation
cynical beliefs; beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest
Nothing could change her cynicism about politics.
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Recent Examples of cynicism
In some quarters, this cynicism has bred its own theology.
—
David Remnick, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Beyond any cynicism, there are complex social messages to parse in this new space.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 8 July 2025
That’s a cultural moment of cynicism and change where institutions and icons are being questioned.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2025
Croatian literature, at least back then, was largely dominated by historical and war traumas, and the storytelling was often deeply mired in irony, satire, and even cynicism; oftentimes relying on shocking the reader in order to hook them or evoke emotion.
—Lidija Hilje
july 8, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
David Remnick, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Beyond any cynicism, there are complex social messages to parse in this new space.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 8 July 2025
That’s a cultural moment of cynicism and change where institutions and icons are being questioned.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2025
Croatian literature, at least back then, was largely dominated by historical and war traumas, and the storytelling was often deeply mired in irony, satire, and even cynicism; oftentimes relying on shocking the reader in order to hook them or evoke emotion.
—Lidija Hilje
july 8, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynicism
Noun
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The film follows Man-su (Lee), a once-content middle-class family man who is abruptly laid off from his job, sending him into a spiral of anxiety and desperation.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Aug. 2025
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Breakdown of law and order As desperation mounts, Palestinians are risking their lives to get food, and violence is increasing, say aid workers.—
Sam Mednick,
Chicago Tribune,
31 July 2025
Noun
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There were, however, occasional moments of despair rather than delight.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
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Not all rabbis spoke from the same ideological place, but a common thread was their effort to assert Jewish moral vocabulary in a moment of despair.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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On the OpenAI community forums and Reddit, long-time chatters are expressing sorrow at losing access to models like GPT-4o.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
8 Aug. 2025
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As images of starving children in Gaza continue to circulate and the international outcry grows louder, a number of American rabbis used their pulpits to speak up about the humanitarian crisis, some with sorrow, others with moral urgency, and many with a sense that silence was no longer tenable.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While this may be cause for near-term volatility, the July jobs report wasn’t all doom and gloom.—
Jeffrey Schulze,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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But even amidst all the doom and gloom, Pattinson shines, slathering on the black eyeliner and moping around to Nirvana.—
Devan Coggan,
EW.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Sentiment metrics are often seen as important market signals, usually contrarian ones (i.e, where optimism is a sell signal for investors and pessimism is a buy signal).—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Afterward the team had the participants take a questionnaire to determine their level of optimism or pessimism.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
21 July 2025
Noun
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Lacy’s new music maintains his sly sense of humor, but with a barefaced melancholy that pushes it to new emotional depths.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
14 Aug. 2025
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More often than not, the film’s nostalgia is sweet and enjoyable because it is paired with the melancholy that comes from all the acknowledgments of the actors from the original who died over the last 29 years.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cynicism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynicism. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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