cynic

[sin-ik]

noun

1. a person who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions and who disbelieves in or minimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of view.

   Synonyms: misanthrope, pessimist, skeptic

2. (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.

3. a person who shows or expresses a bitterly or sneeringly cynical attitude.

   Synonyms: misanthrope, pessimist, skeptic

adjective

1. cynical.

2. (initial capital letter),  Also Cynical. of or relating to the Cynics or their doctrines.

3. Medicine/Medical Now Rare.,  resembling the actions of a snarling dog.

cynic

¹

/ ˈsɪnɪk /

noun

1. a person who believes the worst about people or the outcome of events

adjective

1. a less common word for cynical

2. astronomy of or relating to Sirius, the Dog Star

Cynic

²

/ ˈsɪnɪk /

noun

1. a member of a sect founded by Antisthenes that scorned worldly things and held that self-control was the key to the only good

Other Word Forms

• anticynic noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cynic¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin Cynicus, from Greek Kynikós “Cynic,” literally, “doglike, currish,” equivalent to kyn-, stem of kýōn “dog” + -ikos -ic ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of cynic¹

C16: via Latin from Greek Kunikos, from kuōn dog

Example Sentences

They say it’s better to be lucky than to be smart, and cynics may now wonder which word is a better fit for Bisignano.

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A cynic convinced of the world’s brokenness, he realizes that revolutions need hope too.

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A cynic might argue that, like pumpkin-flavored treats appearing in stores during the first week of August, these successes are merely the product of early excitement for the Halloween season.

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You have the rare gift of making financial analysis feel like sitting at a bar with the smartest cynic in the room.

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When the cynics start making money, it’s time to pay attention.

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Related Words

• detractor 
• doubter www.thesaurus.com
• pessimist 
• skeptic