cynical

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Definitions (8)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. adjective Believing or showing the belief that people are motivated chiefly by base or selfish concerns; skeptical of the motives of others: a cynical dismissal of the politician's promise to reform the campaign finance system.
  2. adjective Selfishly or callously calculating: showed a cynical disregard for the safety of his troops in his efforts to advance his reputation.
  3. adjective Negative or pessimistic, as from world-weariness: a cynical view of the average voter's intelligence.
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Examples

  • The powers did good, as they did evil, “at play”; intervening with a kind of cynical or ironical detachment (like Jaques plighting Touchstone and Audrey) in an alien affair of hearts. —  Robert Browning
  • Perhaps some reader will say that this was cynical, the result of disappointment. —  William Lloyd Garrison
  • And we made sure that people either worked for us or regretted it. —  Mother Of Storms
  • The hero was middle-aged and very cynical, and he went looking for her because of the myth about her. —  Ringworld
  • Vaclyn had certainly seen enough to be that cynical, and he was zealous enough to want to see the Code upheld, almost at any cost. —  Alector's Choice
 

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Cynical has been looked up 571 times, favorited twice, listed 29 times, and commented on 0 times.

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

contemptuous ·  ironic ·  arrogant ·  selfish ·  malicious ·  cruel ·  humorous ·  suspicious ·  shrewd ·  indifferent ·  careless ·  sullen
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

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/ˈsɪnɪkəl/
by American Heritage

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