as in desperation
cynical beliefs; beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest
Nothing could change her cynicism about politics.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cynicism
And in a social media obsessed society often reduced to a cacophony of complaints, the back-to-back American League Cy Young award winner should be spared the cynicism that, regardless of his choice, is certain to come his way.
—
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Her cynicism and King George’s sincere faith in others clash.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
How to put this to work The goal here isn’t cynicism.
—Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
But the combination of naked ambition, absence of cynicism, and a sunny disposition seemed awfully suspicious.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Her cynicism and King George’s sincere faith in others clash.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
How to put this to work The goal here isn’t cynicism.
—Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
But the combination of naked ambition, absence of cynicism, and a sunny disposition seemed awfully suspicious.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynicism
Noun
-
The scariest reality may be that most defense innovation comes from desperation.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The mid-range ICBM that was shot off, these two missiles yesterday, that’s out of desperation, Kristen.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Still, along with the sadness, there’s ample speculation in the art world and on social media that the artist himself orchestrated this round of naming.—
Laurie Kellman,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Cala di Lucia Rosa is said to be named after a resident who threw herself from the cliff in despair after her father forced her to marry a wealthy suitor instead of her true love, a farmer.—
Kristina Kasparian,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
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Only the Clippers came out flat, never landed that first punch and hope quickly turned to despair.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Yet the ballads are also strong, conveying palpable sorrow as the family members figure up their losses.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The murders magnified the terror and sorrow emanating from thousands of anti-Asian attacks arising in the months preceding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the event hasn’t been all doom and gloom for businesses downtown.—
Andrea Guzmán,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
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The gloom is thick, and Quirke is an unlikely hero.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Depression and hopelessness are at their highest ever measured.—
Ariel David,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And they might be helped by pessimism, particularly in young people, about one’s ability to get ahead financially.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Fortunately, our pessimism was misplaced.—
Fleurine Tideman,
Glamour,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some acknowledged the possibility that melancholy could be inherited.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
-
What plucks at the heartstrings with its Herb Alpert studio melancholy sounds a little fried here, the song’s plaintive, tentative charm buried under thrashing improvisation.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cynicism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynicism. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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