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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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May 15, 2013 · The examples reported from the NOAD of sentences containing cynical or skeptical are the following: Most residents are cynical about efforts to clean mobsters out of their city. He gave a cynical laugh. Stalin had struck a cynical deal with Hitler. The public were deeply skeptical about some of the proposals.
Jan 25, 2023 · The dictionary definition of cynical is: believing that people are motivated purely by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity. However, there is an additional bullet point under this definition that says: contemptuous; mocking. I fail to understand how these two definitions are related.
The phrase is used in To Kill a Mockingbird. The witnesses for the state, with the exception of the sheriff of Maycomb County, have presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this court, in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption— the evil assumption that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are ...
Oct 27, 2014 · Cynical can be used in different contexts. Some example sentences of its synonyms... I’m rather skeptical about his chances of winning despite what the paper say. It is ironic that she became a teacher, she used to hate school when she was a girl. I think the original sales figures were too pessimistic.
Ironically, the first three definitions given the question above now appears topmost in Google as response to the query "sarcasm vs cynicism", and "framed", too, giving official status to wrong definitions. It is 2018, indeed and John Brunner would love it (he said, sarcastically, letting us see his cynical soul) –
Feb 14, 2011 · The definition of the words I can read on the NOAD are: Sarcastic: marked by or given to using irony in order to mock or convey contempt. Sardonic: grimly mocking or cynical. She wrote sarcastic comments on their failures. She's witty and sarcastic. Starkey attempted a sardonic smile. The differences between the words are:
Apr 6, 2019 · The definition you linked to includes two definitions of cynical, apparently from Collins English Dictionary. And it is true that people are often described as cynical when they are "showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty or morality by one's actions," as in the case of the politician you described.
The first definition refers to a person taking a cynical look on the world (pessimistic lucidity is unconventional). The second refers to a selfish amoral behavior (also, assumed to be non conformist). So, you may be pessimistic because others are not generous. –
Apr 16, 2017 · "Wry" evolved from a meaning of "to twist". Applied to humor, it refers to humor that is bitterly or disdainfully ironic or amusing; distorted or perverted in meaning; warped, misdirected, or perverse; words that are unsuitable or wrong; scornful and mocking in a humorous way--it covers a lot of territory (see WordReference.com).
Mar 5, 2011 · Origin "Colour" as an verb goes back a long way, etymonline.com tells us: The verb is from late 14c.; earliest use is figurative.
