cynic Hear it!

cynic Definition

cynic (sinik)

noun

  1. a member of a school of ancient Greek philosophers who held virtue to be the only good and stressed independence from worldly needs and pleasures: they became critical of the rest of society and its material interests
  2. a cynical person

Etymology: L Cynicus < Gr kynikos, lit., doglike, as if < kyōn, dog (see hound), nickname of Diogenes, but prob. in allusion to the Kynosarges, a gymnasium where the Cynics taught (< kyōn + argos, lit., white dog, so named after an animal in a myth concerning Hercules, to whom the gymnasium was sacred)

adjective

  1. of or like the Cynics or their doctrines
  2. cynical

cynic Synonyms

cynic

n.

misanthrope, misogynist, misogamist, mocker, satirist, scoffer, pessimist, sarcastic person, caviler, sneerer, flouter, carper, critic, unbeliever, egoist, manhater, skeptic, doubter, questioner, detractor, negativist, nihilist, doubting Thomas*; see also critic 1.

Antonyms optimist, believer*, idealist.

cynic Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • hear: The Craft of Writing Romance Jean Saunders Do I hear the cynics among you say that romance is dead?
  • say: What they really mean, say the cynics, is the trust doesn't want to carry the cost of coastal defenses.
  • let: Let the cynics mock; to me, it shows tremendous joie de vivre.
  • make: To free them without a trial would mock the dead and make cynics of the living.
  • confound: The report has been covered extensively in the press for example E-learning success confounds cynics - TES January 30, 2004 ( PDF ).
  • bear: Being natural born cynics, what we want to know is which is the worst campaign out there.

Adjective modifier

  • twisted: Guaranteed to blow the wind out of your sails, Despair Posters are ideal for bitter and twisted cynics everywhere... .
  • nasty: Nasty old cynics, taking account of the numbers quoted above ( The cup is half full... .
  • old: Nasty old cynics, taking account of the numbers quoted above ( The cup is half full... .
  • hardened: To hardened cynics, it may all seem a little idealistic.
  • other: I can assure Richard and any other cynics that absolutely no decisions have been made.
  • professional: Yet, these professional cynics are getting things wrong again in attributing blame.

Used with adjective complement

harden: I'm quite a hardened cynic when direct mail drops through my door.

Browse dictionary entries near cynic

  1. Cymry
  2. Cymric
  3. cymose
  4. cymophane
  5. cymoid
  6. cymograph
  7. cymogene
  8. cymo-
  9. cymene
  10. cyme
  1. cynical
  2. cynicism
  3. cynosure
  4. Cynthia
  5. CYO
  6. cypher
  7. Cypherpunks
  8. cypress
  9. cypress vine
  10. Cyprian