as in misanthrope
a person who distrusts other people and believes that everything is done for selfish reasons
a cynic who believes that nobody does a good deed without expecting something in return
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Recent Examples of cynic
This stereotype reveals what most people believe: that cynics are smarter than non-cynics.
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Jamil Zaki, TIME, 3 Sep. 2024
Whether one finds this uplifting or eye-rolling is a matter of taste, and cynics will likely find Flanagan’s latest far too saccharine for theirs.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2024
So in fact, many cynics, research shows, don't just feel these bleak things about people.
—Jess Cording, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Some cynics of our acquaintance have argued this is just a way to sell a massive construction delay.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cynic 
Jamil Zaki, TIME, 3 Sep. 2024
Whether one finds this uplifting or eye-rolling is a matter of taste, and cynics will likely find Flanagan’s latest far too saccharine for theirs.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2024
So in fact, many cynics, research shows, don't just feel these bleak things about people.
—Jess Cording, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Some cynics of our acquaintance have argued this is just a way to sell a massive construction delay.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cynic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynic
Noun
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Their characters, a panoply of misanthropes and weirdos, are often trapped in the prisons of their past.Holden Seidlitz, The New Yorker, 10 June 2024
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Continuously caught off guard by Lena’s seemingly naive openness, the misanthrope and old drunkard unexpectedly captivates her with his remarkable talent for writing.Annika Pham, Variety, 18 May 2024
Noun
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The artist’s groundbreaking works came after decades spent in other pursuits, including research economist and rock critic.Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
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The critic, who has been a regular guest on MasterChef for more than a decade, will join John Torode following the Gregg Wallace allegations that have emerged in the past couple of weeks.Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Challenging pessimists on their investments is somewhat of a cheap shot.Bill Conerly, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
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As the stock market rose, the bond market fell As a New York Times writer noted the other day, stock investors are optimists, while bond investors are pessimists.Daniel de Visé, USA TODAY, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Ukraine has consistently proved its detractors and naysayers wrong in the more than 1,000 days since the start of the war.Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
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Together, the two men weathered uncertainty and naysayers to join forces during the biggest win of the Napier era, a 24-17 upset of No. 9 Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3) on Saturday in the Swamp.Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Bitcoin broke $100,000 for the first time on Wednesday night, a milestone hailed even by skeptics as a coming-of-age for digital assets as investors bet on a friendly U.S. administration to cement the place of cryptocurrencies in financial markets.Reuters, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
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The makeup of the incoming Congress was shaped in part by the millions of dollars the industry spent to help defeat lawmakers seen as crypto skeptics, like Democratic Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, the current Chair of the Senate Banking Committee, who lost his reelection bid in November.Rafael Nam, NPR, 4 Dec. 2024
Video
The History of 'Cynic'
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
Thesaurus Entries Near cynic
Cite this Entry
“Cynic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynic. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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