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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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CYNICAL definition: 1. believing that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere: 2. used to say…. Learn more.
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.
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Synonyms for CYNICAL: ironical, ironic, sarcastic, pessimistic, negative, misanthropic, skeptical, sardonic; Antonyms of CYNICAL: optimistic, positive, cheerful, naive, trustful, trusting, naïve, unsuspicious
- 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...
adjective. 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.
cynical in British English. (ˈsɪnɪkəl ) adjective. 1. distrustful or contemptuous of virtue, esp selflessness in others; believing the worst of others, esp that all acts are selfish. 2. sarcastic; mocking. 3. showing contempt for accepted standards of behaviour, esp of honesty or morality.
CYNICAL meaning: 1. believing that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere: 2. used to say…. Learn more.
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."
