CYNICISM Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

cynicism

noun

Definition of cynicism

as in desperation

cynical beliefs; beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest Nothing could change her cynicism about politics.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cynicism The other presidents had some semblance of comedic appreciation, whether through cynicism, irony, sarcasm, joke-telling, joke appreciation or storytelling. — John Blumenthal, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 The critic who found a helpful narrative to understand the history, and future, of our images, without a drop of cynicism. — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026 Townshend’s cynicism proved prescient as the generation that marched, occupied, and dropped out in the late 1960s spent the 1970s watching the New Left splinter. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 Crosland’s interpretation begins with a prologue showing the origin of Don Juan’s romantic cynicism, followed by an epic tale of lust, love, and deceit. — Air Mail, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cynicism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynicism

Noun

But his approach is from a position of deftness and strength, not desperation.

— Hilary Milnes, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
The mood would be a mix of confidence, desperation and nagging dread.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of desperation

Noun

For example, expressing appreciation for past help or thanking the doctor for their time was more helpful than emphasizing sadness or frustration.

— Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
But our frustrations and inconvenience pale in comparison to the sadness of those who knew the deceased or to the trauma the drivers involved experienced.

— Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of sadness

Noun

Along with a brief moment of tenderness Sara experiences with her class’s resident dork, this feminine camaraderie makes for a nugget of niceness in a sea of despair.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
Yet the film’s firmest punch is packed in the despair and dignity of Sul’s performance, as a man coming to terms with how much he’s lost.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of despair

Noun

The day ended in that same quad with feelings of sorrow, grief, shock and confusion.

— PJ Green August 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
Going back to the Mets example, perhaps in an uber-technical sense a Mets’ loss could have marginal economic impact as some fans guzzle more beer to drown away their sorrows.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

Bees avoid the gloom of the understory—with few flowers, there’s little to entice them—but wasps don’t mind it, and are attracted to the helleborines by the promise of an intoxicating nectar (itself made by a symbiosis with fungi).

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026
Amid the gloom, one local nonprofit group is working to celebrate iconic cartoons to support the animators of today — and remind people of the joy of animation.

— Marah Eakin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of gloom

Noun

These proposals, many times rooted in sympathy and love, were presented as alternatives to the political structures and market logic that had so often led to war, exploitation, hopelessness, and suffering.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Sinatra’s sense of hopelessness is relentless — there’s no meaning in his pursuit of the killer.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hopelessness

Noun

On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.

— Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026

Definition of melancholy

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“Cynicism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynicism. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of cynicism

noun

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