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
The cynicism of this strategy is astonishing.
—
Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
What makes Becky Shaw so fulfilling is its cynicism about love and its ruthless method of hurling those frustrations at its audience.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
This journalistic cynicism amid government ham-handedness shattered something precious too.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
And underlying them all is an unexpectedly sincere exploration of what true love can or should feel like, pitched right on the knife’s edge between sentimentality and cynicism.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
What makes Becky Shaw so fulfilling is its cynicism about love and its ruthless method of hurling those frustrations at its audience.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
This journalistic cynicism amid government ham-handedness shattered something precious too.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
And underlying them all is an unexpectedly sincere exploration of what true love can or should feel like, pitched right on the knife’s edge between sentimentality and cynicism.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynicism
Noun
-
If the Lakers are going to find a new level of desperation and resilience to avoid a sweep – answers better emerge on the horizon.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
-
Then, in a time of desperation, in the middle of March, Brown looked to Clarkson for the spark that has become synonymous with his career as a bench scorer.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
There’s some sadness mixed with true joy.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
-
For McKidd, seeing Dane included in the finale montage brought both sadness and gratitude.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
All morning, Keller had been swinging between optimism and despair.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
That’s not a reason to despair.—
Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Unique is meant to embody that racial trauma, but Moore doesn’t possess the grit necessary to make the pain and sorrow resonate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The reader feels the moment’s vitality and presence, and the sorrow at its loss, but not because Ford insists on it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Labour has been plunged into gloom by heavy losses last week in local elections across England and legislative votes in Scotland and Wales.—
Jill Lawless,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
-
The high summer gloom magnified the nightmarish fairytale of it all.—
Eli Raphael,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Greater pessimism Young people, with fewer physical limitations and family responsibilities — along with an ability to adapt more quickly than older counterparts — normally are more optimistic about their ability to land work.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
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One area where Goldman explicitly revises its prior pessimism is jobs — though not in the direction AI boosters would prefer.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
His reputation, as captured by obituaries in the Guardian and the Times of London, is one of genteel melancholy and precise social observation.—
Charlie Tyson,
Harpers Magazine,
21 Apr. 2026
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Still, the achievement carried a touch of melancholy for Lovell.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cynicism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynicism. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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