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
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
Released during Obama’s first term, this movie’s cynicism didn’t go over super-well; the film’s negative reviews were particularly hard on the idea that maybe Democrats and Republicans can both be bad.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The news of the Angels slowing down Grayson Rodriguez because of soreness was greeted with cynicism around baseball because Rodriguez has been through so many serious injuries.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026
But that reality — and cynicism like Cronenberg’s — keeps me sane.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Released during Obama’s first term, this movie’s cynicism didn’t go over super-well; the film’s negative reviews were particularly hard on the idea that maybe Democrats and Republicans can both be bad.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The news of the Angels slowing down Grayson Rodriguez because of soreness was greeted with cynicism around baseball because Rodriguez has been through so many serious injuries.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026
But that reality — and cynicism like Cronenberg’s — keeps me sane.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynicism
Noun
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That was the case not only because of Panarin and Forsberg’s excellence, but because of defenseman Cody Ceci’s last-ditch desperation.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Replying too fast may signal desperation.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Curtis revealed that Annie, who welcomed her baby boy with husband Jason Wolf in December, was able to take the grief and sadness of losing her godparents and birth as a new beginning.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
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There will be deaths, of characters as well as relationships, but McInerney’s always-sharp insights on social strata and human nature guarantee that in the midst of sadness we are also entertained.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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April, a season of hope for many, was always a month of despair for them.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
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Nastiness can be framed as a function of mourning a loved one, as with Dorinda’s rants on RHONY; or despair over personal crises, as with RHOC star Shannon Beador’s DUI and car crash.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Anna ends up at a hotel bar, ordering a burger and a beer, eating her sorrows away.—
Jocelyn Noveck,
Boston Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The doom-and-gloom predictions of the education establishment, long lined up at the trough, haven’t come to pass.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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The same goes for a doom-and-gloom attitude about aging, which experts said often leads to fewer health-promoting activities.—
Currie Engel,
Health,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The other featured a comeback that saw hopelessness turn into jubilation.—
Peter Warren,
Houston Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
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For her and many other Iranians who spoke to CNN – their surnames withheld to protect their identities – the past three weeks have been filled with a sense of hopelessness and fear.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The bank said pessimism around the group appears overdone, with earnings growth still running at a double-digit pace and balance sheets remaining relatively strong.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
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The first shows affordability as Maryland’s top issue; the second reveals growing pessimism about the state’s direction.—
Randy Altschuler,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The film’s empathetic interest in individual, often eccentric human lives gives it a warmth that overrides the underlying melancholy of the material, making for a pleasingly unsentimental crowdpleaser.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
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Some acknowledged the possibility that melancholy could be inherited.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cynicism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynicism. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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