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- Dictionarycynical/ˈsɪnɪkl/
adjective
- 1. believing that people are motivated purely by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity: "he was brutally cynical and hardened to every sob story under the sun"
- 2. concerned only with one's own interests and typically disregarding accepted standards in order to achieve them: "a cynical manipulation of public opinion"
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Learn the origin, synonyms, and usage of the word cynical, which means having or showing the attitude of a cynic. Find examples of cynical in sentences and related words in the thesaurus.
Cynical means disapproving, distrustful, or not respecting the goodness of other people and their actions. Learn how to use this adjective in different contexts, such as politics, sports, or relationships, with examples and synonyms.
Find 49 words that mean having or showing a deep distrust of human beings and their motives, such as ironical, sarcastic, or pessimistic. Learn how cynical differs from misanthropic and pessimistic, and see examples and videos.
- The words misanthropic and pessimistic are common synonyms of cynical. While all three words mean "deeply distrustful," cynical implies having a sn...
- Although the words misanthropic and cynical have much in common, misanthropic suggests a rooted distrust and dislike of human beings and their soci...
- In some situations, the words pessimistic and cynical are roughly equivalent. However, pessimistic implies having a gloomy, distrustful view of lif...
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What is a cynical person?
distrustful or contemptuous of virtue, esp selflessness in others; believing the worst of others, esp that all acts are selfish. sarcastic; mocking. showing contempt for accepted standards of behaviour, esp of honesty or morality. the politician betrayed his promises in a cynical way.
Learn the meaning of cynical, an adjective that describes someone who does not trust or respect other people or their actions. Find out how to use cynical in sentences and how to say it in different languages.
A cynical person has a bleak outlook about others, always imagining that people are ruled by their worst instincts. H.L. Mencken was famous for saying cynical things like, "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."
Learn the meaning of cynical, an adjective that describes someone who distrusts or disrespects others or their motives. Find synonyms, pronunciation, collocations, and usage examples of cynical in British and American English.
