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.
a less common word for cynical
astronomy of or relating to Sirius, the Dog Star
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. )
A cynic is someone who believes that humans are selfish and that they only do something if it will benefit themselves. Cynics criticize acts of kindness and will probably tease you if you help an old lady cross the street. Maybe you know a cynic or two. They like to criticize people and situations, especially if they think there’s a deeper motivation behind the more obvious one. Let’s say a friend borrows your car, and then he shows up later covered in grease and offers you a lollipop. If you’re a cynic, you’d suspect that your friend crashed your car and is trying to distract you with the delicious and sweet lollipop. And you might be right.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The cynic in me says this is what always happens to Mexico. We're good, but we just can never truly compete against the elite of the world," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Or, a cynic might say, the real inflation figures are easily fudged.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
The man is rhapsodically shameless—oafishly charismatic, memorably strange-looking—a cynic at heart, and a carny in spirit.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Mr. Riley’s column reminds me of Oscar Wilde’s definition of a cynic: “A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
The same Household Finance that had pushed Steve Eisman over the narrow border between Wall Street skeptic and Wall Street cynic.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
To have no needs or desires, in the Cynic view, conferred a power greater than that of a king.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
Cynic, realist, whatever: when I stood around chatting with my free drink, surrounded by optimism, I harbored some reservations about the usefulness of analog astronautics and the motivations of the participants.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 10, 2023
The Cynic replied “stop standing in my sunbeam.”
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020
Alec MacGillis is a reporter for ProPublica and the author of “The Cynic: The Political Education of Mitch McConnell.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2019
“I have as good a right to make a Word, he insisted, “as that Pedant Bigot Cynic and Monk.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Which - those cynics would say - is all the more reason for the FIA to reject it.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
Turner said in a speech at the launch that the network was meant “to create a positive force in a world where cynics abound.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
Yet at 26, she has weathered countless storms — whether facing incessant body-shaming online, or defending her pop music pivot from cynics in the comments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2026
When the cynics start making money, it’s time to pay attention.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2025
Here is the answer to the cynics who give the motion picture no place in the family arts .
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
