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
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Recent Examples of cynical
Rampant disinformation has made Bangladeshis cynical about India’s defense of Hindu rights and wary of its meddling in their politics.
—
Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
The film follows Donnie, a cynical but lovable Cuban solenodon, who takes on an outrageous mission: to avoid extinction by rebranding himself as a panda – one of the world’s most beloved endangered species.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 2025
Is this a cynical attempt to rescue their party from a political free fall?
—John Opdycke, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 May 2025
And so Lee’s reinterpretation strains to leave us on a high instead of a low, as befits the finale of an update so compellingly eager to flip the script on one of Kurosawa’s most cynical films.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
The film follows Donnie, a cynical but lovable Cuban solenodon, who takes on an outrageous mission: to avoid extinction by rebranding himself as a panda – one of the world’s most beloved endangered species.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 2025
Is this a cynical attempt to rescue their party from a political free fall?
—John Opdycke, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 May 2025
And so Lee’s reinterpretation strains to leave us on a high instead of a low, as befits the finale of an update so compellingly eager to flip the script on one of Kurosawa’s most cynical films.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynical
Adjective
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And if later Destinations would perfect the whole falling-dominos-of-death thing, did any of them pull off a more iconic, ironic jolt than poor Terry fatally failing to look both ways?—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
19 May 2025
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That such a straightforwardly earnest candidate would emerge as a favorite of the downtown world may seem unlikely: This set has been characterized as everything from reactionary to right-wing, and above all, governed by a certain ironic sensibility.—
Joseph Bernstein,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Still, Ernst shared a sarcastic apology video after facing criticism from Democrats over her response to the town hall attendees' concerns.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
2 June 2025
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The vibe, never exactly cheerful, and never leavened by a hint of even the most sarcastic sense of humor, takes a turn for the horrific one evening in the wake of the bawdy revels celebrating Tomek’s wedding.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Democrats in March hit an all-time low in polling and remain pessimistic about the party’s future, according to a new survey this month.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
29 May 2025
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Unlike many pessimistic voices, Bocco refused to concede that theatrical is becoming a niche business that exists to feed streaming.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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The only negative in a sublime opening period for Florida was Sam Reinhart leaving with an apparent knee injury after enduring a questionable hip-check hit from Sebastian Aho that the league should take a look at.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2025
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Once a loan is 90 days past due, the loan servicer reports the delinquency to the credit reporting bureaus, which can lower the borrower’s credit score and leave a negative mark on their credit report.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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To describe Mickey 17 as a sendup, by the way, is to distinguish it from satire, which would require a deeper cynicism or genuine misanthropic disdain.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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It will be decided on by a conservative-majority Supreme Court that has been skeptical of considerations of race in public life.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
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These regions were often skeptical of centralized power, and reformers pushed for tools like the initiative and referendum to give citizens a way to bypass political machines and corporate influence.—
Jeremy Kohler,
ProPublica,
30 May 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 7 Jun. 2025.
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