cynic
a person who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions and who disbelieves in or minimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of view.
(initial capital letter) one of a sect of Greek philosophers, 4th century b.c., who advocated the doctrines that virtue is the only good, that the essence of virtue is self-control, and that surrender to any external influence is beneath human dignity.
a person who shows or expresses a bitterly or sneeringly cynical attitude.
(initial capital letter)Also Cynical. of or relating to the Cynics or their doctrines.
Medicine/Medical Now Rare. resembling the actions of a snarling dog.
Origin of cynic
1Other words for cynic
Other words from cynic
- an·ti·cyn·ic, noun, adjective
Words that may be confused with cynic
Words Nearby cynic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cynic in a sentence
The cynics, meanwhile, shorted GME to heights rarely seen in the past decade—to well north of 100% of the stock’s total float.
Bitcoin, stocks and crude take off as the markets brace for a wave of stimulus checks | Bernhard Warner | February 8, 2021 | FortuneIn Wilde’s day, the cynic and sentimentalist characters made for good theater.
Bitcoin, stocks and crude take off as the markets brace for a wave of stimulus checks | Bernhard Warner | February 8, 2021 | FortuneA cynic would say this is a way for the company to drive product adoption until it has a large, installed base of users.
Facebook launches free ‘paid online events’ for SMBs and others | Greg Sterling | August 14, 2020 | Search Engine LandThe world, unfortunately, or some people—cynics—the cynical blogosphere at least—still sees fitness equipment as rote weight loss.
Peloton CEO John Foley Talks Cheaper Bikes and Making the Most of Staying Home | Eben Shapiro | May 21, 2020 | TimeA cynic might wonder if the police were telling the whole truth.
5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Ep. 334 Rebroadcast) | Stephen J. Dubner | January 9, 2020 | Freakonomics
You, dear reader and refusenik, will likely be called a cynic or a sad sack by friends.
A cynic might say that the report is like the movie Clue, perfectly set up for a multiplicity of endings.
Though he made it back to the top by dint of talent and hard work, he remained a deep-dyed cynic for the rest of his life.
The Stacks: Robin Williams, More Than A Shtick Figure | Joe Morgenstern | August 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTPutin, after all, is not the only cynic on center stage in the Ukraine crisis.
Putin Can Take Ukraine Without an Invasion, and Probably Will | Jamie Dettmer | April 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTLikely, Harold would have accepted the short shrift with his usual cynic's grace.
The Stacks: Harold Conrad Was Many Things, But He Was Never, Ever Dull | Mark Jacobson | March 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTA cynic was Blondet, with little regard for glory undefiled.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z | Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois ChristopheCould I have been led to believe that the vile mockery of the cynic was applicable to one in my forlorn and desperate situation?
My Ten Years' Imprisonment | Silvio PellicoI've met him; he's a bad-tempered hypochondriac, a cynic at heart, and a man whose word is never doubted.
In Search of the Unknown | Robert W. ChambersThe word cynic, too, comes from the name given to certain Greek philosophers who despised pleasure.
Stories That Words Tell Us | Elizabeth O'NeillSuppose he is a cynic, it is to his interest to govern well.
The Napoleon of Notting Hill | Gilbert K. Chesterton
British Dictionary definitions for cynic (1 of 2)
/ (ˈsɪnɪk) /
a person who believes the worst about people or the outcome of events
a less common word for cynical
astronomy of or relating to Sirius, the Dog Star
Origin of cynic
1British Dictionary definitions for Cynic (2 of 2)
/ (ˈsɪnɪk) /
a member of a sect founded by Antisthenes that scorned worldly things and held that self-control was the key to the only good
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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