as in ironic
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
Daria The monotone, cynical, ultimate critic of suburban life, popularity, and high school.
—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Jan. 2026
The op-ed further frames Illinois’ cannabis policy as a cynical cash grab.
—Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
The many myths and inaccuracies that surrounded him not only disguised the bloody, chaotic and cynical reality of Ramírez’s activities, but greatly assisted them.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
And in November, the company rolled out different personalities allowing users to choose from professional, friendly, candid, quirky, efficient, cynical and nerdy versions.
—Arianna Huffington, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Jan. 2026
The op-ed further frames Illinois’ cannabis policy as a cynical cash grab.
—Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
The many myths and inaccuracies that surrounded him not only disguised the bloody, chaotic and cynical reality of Ramírez’s activities, but greatly assisted them.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
And in November, the company rolled out different personalities allowing users to choose from professional, friendly, candid, quirky, efficient, cynical and nerdy versions.
—Arianna Huffington, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynical
Adjective
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Now, in an ironic twist of a slasher’s blade, Miska returning to the internet horror field, this time as the owner of Bloody Disgusting’s chief competitor, Dread Central.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Jan. 2026
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The memes, commentary, and speculation became a culture unto itself, a loop of ironic posting, information warring, and commentary on commentary—all before his shooter was identified or Kirk was even pronounced dead.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Tom Lester played Eb Dawson, the Douglases' sarcastic young farmhand.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
25 Jan. 2026
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The worse things are going, the more bitter and sarcastic my humor sometimes gets.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Underlying this low score is a sharp pessimistic turn regarding short-term progress.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
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That, combined with the government’s own sluggish labor market data, has left Americans increasingly pessimistic about the economy.—
Matt Ott,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And one of the main lessons that will be learned from that account is that while the harms that occurred came quickly and sometimes surprisingly easily, their negative consequences — on universities and society at large — will linger for a long time.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The rapid rise of AI technology has had negative effects on the climate and humanity, albeit indirectly.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Trilogy is disturbing and alluring, with its ghostly production and chillingly misanthropic undercurrent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
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Avi Schiffmann, the company’s 23-year-old CEO, has been cast as a misanthropic tech founder emblematic of Silicon Valley’s ills.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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What experts think is possible Michael Pachter, a managing director of equity research at wealth management firm Wedbush Securities, is highly skeptical of Cohen’s ability to fulfill the acquisition.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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Housing analyst Jonathan Miller, who is skeptical of the proposal, says that landlords will likely try to raise market-rate rents to help cover at least some of that rise in costs.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
30 Jan. 2026
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 Feb. 2026.
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