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:
"Northern Ireland has taught me that sometimes to break division, to break through cynicism and barriers, you've got to look for those allies in unexpected places and find common ground."
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
And even if that fact might make you depressed, scrolling will deplete one’s cynicism until it’s replaced by another attention-grabbing post.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 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
But the dry cynicism in his eyes made him seem much older than the teenager crumpled down opposite them.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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 can look like a higher form of patriotism, and vice versa.
From New York Times ● Sep. 7, 2022
Cynicism, on the other hand, can be corrosive.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 17, 2022
Disregarding all the accidental excrescences of the doctrine, Cynicism must be regarded as a most valuable development and as a real asset in the sum of ethical speculation.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 8 "Cube" to "Daguerre, Louis" by Various
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
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
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
He is the best of American humorists—there are few who will be inclined to dispute that—even though we regret occasional cynicisms, like his jest on Milton's blindness in "Fireside Travels."
From Cambridge Sketches by Stearns, Frank Preston
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.
