cynical
adjective
distrusting or disparaging the motives of others; like or characteristic of a cynic.
cynically
-
a word derived from
cynical.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Others, even more cynically, play a form of Russian roulette with their clients’ money.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
"If I look at it cynically, I can't help but think that maybe she really wants to change" Japan's anti-nuclear commitment, 82-year-old Satoshi Tanaka, a campaigner who survived the 1945 attack on Hiroshima, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
As she relates in this new and admirable work of social history, all sorts of elements—some well-intentioned, some cynically opportunistic—contributed to produce a wholesale reworking of the way America’s children approach their food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
With the forward bearing down on goal in the dying stages, Young cynically hacked him down on the edge of the area, preventing a near-certain goal.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025
“No one says those things cynically of you.”
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
