cynics

noun

plural of cynic
as in critics
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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Example Sentences

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 cynics Williams led the Bears to an NFC North title and a playoff victory last season, but some cynics think the Bears are due for a regression this season. — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 That the earnestness the genre requires galls us cynics, who love to hide in our books, away from all those pesky bodies in the first place? — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 Trump’s insistence on lower rates isn’t helping matters, and cynics argue that Warsh doesn’t want to make the president angry. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 30 July 2026 But should cynics in the industry be tapping the brakes a little, to make sure everybody believes Dean is all that, before giving her an official coronation? — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 July 2026 But weddings also bring out the cynics, and there are a lot of people who cannot be swayed by a wedding. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 16 July 2026 In the afterglow of the evening, even hardened cynics couldn't deny that being admired by millions is no substitute for being loved by one. — Bryan West, USA Today, 7 July 2026 The native New Yorker has won over cynics before, his peers tell Fortune. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 July 2026 Not everyone is happy about this apparently, as large portions of cynics and haters on social media are apparently ready to say auf wiedersehen to Freddy. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynics
  1. critics
  2. naysayers
  3. pessimists
  4. misanthropes
Noun
  • Many of his domestic critics have faulted him for prolonging the war in Gaza to appease his far-right allies, and for permitting ultra-Orthodox Jews to forgo military service to appease that sizable religious voter bloc.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Following backlash, Crawford removed the post from her X timeline on Sunday afternoon and apologized for violating the network’s standards, amid complaints from internal and external critics about the post to CBS News leadership.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of critics
Noun
  • Democrats would be wise to ignore the naysayers and take the win.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Perhaps if it had been marketed as a quirky arthouse film, critical expectations might have been tempered and the naysayers’ assessments a bit less savage.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of naysayers
Noun
  • My favourite part of this exercise is seeing the distribution of optimists and pessimists.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Some pessimists think Chalamet may be vulnerable to poaching given recent headlines, but others reject the idea.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of pessimists
Noun
  • The story follows a rag-tag group of misanthropes who attempt to rob jewels from the Vatican.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Clavicular is the poster child—though by no means the most extreme representative—of the looksmaxxing movement, the latest permutation of an ideology developed by too online misogynist misanthropes in the twenty-tens.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of misanthropes

Browse Nearby Words

cynicism
cynics
cynosure
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Cite this Entry

“Cynics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynics. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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