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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cynical
Early in 2008, when Clinton briefly welled up in a coffee shop after a bruising loss in the Iowa caucus, the moment was interpreted as being a melodramatic scandal fit for TMZ and a cynical ploy for attention that eventually won her New Hampshire.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
And yet beneath the glitter, the past endures – often in silence, sometimes in cynical exploitation.
—Sophal Ear, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
Christian Norgaard and Kevin Schade were booked six minutes apart in the first half for cynical challenges to stop Arsenal advancing with dribbles.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
But some researchers and advocates see the demand for this research as cynical, given the administration recently slashed funding for hundreds of studies about important physical and mental health issues facing people in the LGBTQ community, including trans people.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
And yet beneath the glitter, the past endures – often in silence, sometimes in cynical exploitation.
—Sophal Ear, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
Christian Norgaard and Kevin Schade were booked six minutes apart in the first half for cynical challenges to stop Arsenal advancing with dribbles.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
But some researchers and advocates see the demand for this research as cynical, given the administration recently slashed funding for hundreds of studies about important physical and mental health issues facing people in the LGBTQ community, including trans people.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynical
Adjective
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And perhaps the most frustrating and ironic aspect about these potential cuts is that in the scheme of the U.S. government’s overall budget, Mars gets much more of the planetary science budget than Venus.—
Bruce Dorminey,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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Coogler finds that very ironic, given his own connection to this sequence.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Goldberg continued before asking her co-hosts their opinions in a sarcastic tone.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Where Jackie is sarcastic, cynical, and all sharp edges, Zoey is enthusiastic and warm.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Both predictions are more pessimistic than the fund’s January projections, which came before Trump’s flurry of tariff announcements took America’s average import tax to its highest level in a century.—
Olesya Dmitracova,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2025
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This marks the most pessimistic attitude on jobs that Gallup has recorded since January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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While Americans have tended to hold negative attitudes about the government’s handling of the environment for decades, the survey found opinions slipped again this year.—
Lauren Irwin,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2025
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But if your reflection is limited to replaying the negative parts of your social interactions and perpetuating feelings of shame or self-criticism, that’s less constructive, says Janeé Steele, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Kalamazoo, Michigan.—
Seraphina Seow,
Vogue,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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But, then, genuine misanthropic disdain is part of Verhoeven's tool kit.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Listen, many Gomez fans were skeptical when the singer confirmed her relationship with the prolific music producer back in December 2023.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2025
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Some are skeptical given his slight wingspan and arm length and wonder if a move to left guard may eventually be necessary.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 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 2 May. 2025.
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