Cynicism

name, noun

name, noun ·4 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A distrustful attitude. uncountable
  2. 2
    a cynical feeling of distrust wordnet
  3. 3
    An emotion of jaded negativity, or a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of other people. Cynicism can manifest itself by frustration, disillusionment and distrust in regard to organizations, authorities and other aspects of society, often due to previous bad experience. Cynics often view others as motivated solely by disguised self-interest. uncountable
  4. 4
    A scornfully pessimistic comment or act. countable
  5. 5
    A school of thought in the philosophy of Ancient Greece. uncountable
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    the philosophy of the Greek Cynics

Synonyms

All synonyms
antisocial sentimentsantisocialityatomismcausticitydefeatismdismalness

Example

More examples

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Cynicism, cynic + -ism; compare cynism.

Etymology 2

From Cynic + -ism.

Related phrases

legal cynicismself interest

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.