as in misanthrope
a person who distrusts other people and believes that everything is done for selfish reasons
a cynic who believes that nobody does a good deed without expecting something in return
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cynic
But, to the cynics, it could be twisted as a sign that Åberg isn’t wired like the great competitors in sports.
—
Brody Miller, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Similarly to her dad, Abby tries to bring order to her crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), a character from the original series.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 May 2025
Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2013 graphic lesbian love story Blue Is the Warmest Color confounded cynics by winning over a jury headed by, of all people, Steven Spielberg.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 May 2025
Ignore the cynics and their interest in intimidating ironic innovation!
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynic
Brody Miller, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Similarly to her dad, Abby tries to bring order to her crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), a character from the original series.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 May 2025
Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2013 graphic lesbian love story Blue Is the Warmest Color confounded cynics by winning over a jury headed by, of all people, Steven Spielberg.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 May 2025
Ignore the cynics and their interest in intimidating ironic innovation!
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynic
Noun
-
Edward is a misanthrope and a scold (The Imitation Game).—
Graham Hillard,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Feb. 2025
-
In the face of international law enforcement pressure, dozens of prosecutions, and worldwide disrepute, the network of young sadists, misanthropes, child predators, and extortionists known as Com and 764 has not shrunk away into obscurity.—
Ali Winston,
WIRED,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Wang has been praised by critics and fans for his candor about his life and working in the entertainment industry, where many artists refused to discuss their mental health or the struggles of being an idol.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
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Not long afterward, I was amused when a critic who reviewed a Paul Simon concert at Carnegie Hall marvelled at the timeworn timbre of Simon’s old D-28.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Noun
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The researchers also found that optimistic people showed bigger differences between brain patterns for emotionally positive and negative events than pessimists did.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
21 July 2025
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To the pessimists among them, Hollywood’s most personal profession has lost its human touch.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Shortly after the last of the dams was removed, freeing the Klamath's free flow in late 2024, the salmon that naysayers said would take years to journey past the old reservoirs appeared upstream almost overnight.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
21 July 2025
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With the encouragement of her fellow songwriters, Yearwood quickly disproved that long ago college naysayer by exploring her songwriting talents in writing rooms around Nashville and at her home — and concluding that self-doubt is something songwriters of all success levels struggle with.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
18 July 2025
Noun
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The Critics And The Clarion Call Of course, there are skeptics.—
Pankaj Vasani,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
Critics of multilateralism, detractors of foreign aid, and skeptics of free trade had long advanced this claim.—
STACIE E. GODDARD,
Foreign Affairs,
28 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
“Cynic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynic. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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