as in ironical
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cynical
Jurassic World is, in many ways, the reboot phenomenon at its worst: cynical, cheap, sort of ugly, and dumbed down in a way that had to have made Spielberg secretly groan.
—
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 3 July 2025
There’s already plenty in life to feel cynical about.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
The Arab Gulf states, broadly speaking, remain deeply cynical about the Iranian regime.
—H.a. Hellyer, Time, 30 June 2025
Created by cartoonist Jim Davis, the Garfield comic strip debuted in June 1978 and follows the cynical and lazy orange cat and his interactions with his owner, Jon Arbuckle, and fellow pet Odie, the lovable dog.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 3 July 2025
There’s already plenty in life to feel cynical about.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
The Arab Gulf states, broadly speaking, remain deeply cynical about the Iranian regime.
—H.a. Hellyer, Time, 30 June 2025
Created by cartoonist Jim Davis, the Garfield comic strip debuted in June 1978 and follows the cynical and lazy orange cat and his interactions with his owner, Jon Arbuckle, and fellow pet Odie, the lovable dog.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynical
Adjective
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Which is to say the title of Portuguese director João Rosas‘ debut feature isn’t at all ironic: This droll, delightful romantic comedy is an ode to the good times that can be had amid and around heartache, and the healing that eventually comes out of that very conflict.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
10 July 2025
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His older brother, Shaquille Hollingsworth, said Harper's death is ironic, knowing his love of the water.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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His passion for all-things superhero has a giddy innocence to it even when his films are sarcastic or jokey.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
-
Both of us were sarcastic and fun and funny, and always making jokes and pranks and just having fun with everybody on set.—
Daniela Avila,
People.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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The strategist expects a wide range of outcomes, citing bullish signals around sentiment that conflict with more pessimistic GDP forecasts.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
14 July 2025
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So while calls still outflank puts on an absolute basis, the high percentile means options traders have been much more pessimistic than usual.—
Schaeffer's Investment Research,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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In certain pockets, across some EU countries, this sort of geo-arbitrage or the existence of golden visas are viewed as negative, because of the view that expats can price locals out of the market for rents and cost of living.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
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Meanwhile, the brand that actually popularized the EV, moving it from compliance car and milk float to something desirable, has fallen even further into negative territory in July.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Wood starred as hopeless romantic Chelsea, who was on vacation with her older, misanthropic boyfriend Rick (Walton Goggins).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 May 2025
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Brief yet dense and full of misanthropic humor, Portal holds the hell up nearly twenty years later.—
Joshua Rivera,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
Adjective
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Coastal elites are always skeptical about whether a fast-growth, deep tech company can be built in the Midwest.—
Kathleen Gallagher,
jsonline.com,
15 July 2025
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In their interviews with town businessmen, the Sodality women try to convince the men that more hygienic practices will actually improve their bottom line, but the men are skeptical: why do anything new?—
Deborah Williams
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
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 30 Jul. 2025.
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