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
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 BEAST
A 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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