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.
"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
A bit more cynically, she adds: “He sees the good in people. I see the truth.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Sometimes, as “Back to the Future” cynically implies, it backslides or gets stuck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025
Instead, Kirk is cynically manipulating his male audience.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2025
One newspaper editor had sagely, if cynically, observed that “the usual custom is for the capital of new empires to be selected by the whim or caprice of a despot.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
