cynicism
noun
cynical disposition, character, or belief.
cynicism
1
British
/ ˈsɪnɪˌsɪzəm /
noun
-
the attitude or beliefs of a cynic
-
a cynical action, remark, idea, etc
Cynicism
2
British
/ ˈsɪnɪˌsɪzəm /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cynicism
Explanation
Cynicism is the feeling of distrust or that something isn't going to work out well. Some people feel cynicism when politicians make big promises. To pronounce cynicism, place the accent on the first syllable: "SIH-nuh-cih-zum." You might associate cynicism with sarcasm. Cynicism comes from believing that people are, at heart, selfish and untrustworthy. Sarcasm is the expression of negative feelings like cynicism, by expressing, for dramatic effect, the opposite of what is meant: "I'm quite sure that politician took that bribe by mistake. We all know how easy it is to overlook the sudden appearance of $2 million dollars in your checking account."
Vocabulary lists containing cynicism
Grade 10, List 1
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President Obama's Farewell Address
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1984
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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.
See Examples For:
Then a cynicism came over him: "Being from where we're from, you're sort of sceptical all the time, so I didn't really believe it."
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
It shows up in civic life most glaringly as a corrosive sense of cynicism about patriotism, which in Europe is treated with a wink and a nod.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
And there is so much cynicism in that play.
From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026
The film isn’t arguing with cynicism; it’s presenting an alternative.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
It read, in bold black ink: Warning: The following pages, whether used as a journal or for ideas, are most assuredly filled with melancholy, cynicism, and woe.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
Cynicism ahead of the Games is not a new thing, though.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Cynicism was called a shortcut to virtue because it involved no lengthy study or mental training such as that demanded by Plato.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
Cynicism is attributing the worst motives to people.
From New York Times ● Oct. 5, 2022
Cynicism, on the other hand, can be corrosive.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 17, 2022
Cynicism or infidelity—next a utilitarian age, and lastly we have a mongrel compound of all—then we have revolutions, bloodshed, sentiment, religion, and spinning-jennies.
From The Kentuckian in New-York, Volume I (of 2) or, The Adventures of Three Southerns by William Alexander Caruthers
The girls' faces are fresh and untouched by the indulgences and cynicisms of city life.
From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2014
Gold will be accused of twin cynicisms – of jumping on the Olympics bandwagon and of manipulating its audience's emotions.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 2, 2012
The sly digressions of a slanting bishop, the rapid cynicisms of a threatened queen, the stormy contraditions of the agile castles—these provided dialect in which the finest abstractions could be stated.
From Time Magazine Archive
America's discussion and debate, its hopes and cynicisms about the post-war world, moved last week to a new plane.
From Time Magazine Archive
A seed dropped from the flattering tongue of Lord Henry Wotton, tended and skilfully fostered into a surprising precociousness by his insidious, worthless cynicisms, and oracular sophistries.
From Oscar Wilde: Art and Morality A Defence of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Stuart Mason
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
