Standard Lemma guide

cynical

adj · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈsɪnɪkəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: sinical
  • rhymes with -ɪnɪkəl
  • CMU ARPABET: S IH1 N IH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated only or primarily by base desires or selfishness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Skeptical of the integrity, sincerity, or motives of others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Bitterly or jadedly distrustful or contemptuous; mocking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Showing contempt for accepted moral standards by one's actions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Like the actions of a snarling dog, especially in reference to facial nerve paralysis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Of or relating to the Cynics, a sect of Ancient Greek philosophers who believed virtue to be the only good and self-control to be the only means of achieving virtue.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: misanthropic, misanthropical

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Originated 1542, from Classical Latin cynicus (“Cynic/cynic”, adjective) + -al. By surface analysis, cynic + -al. In reference to dogs, with allusion to the ultimate etymology (Ancient Greek κυνικός (kunikós, “doglike”)).

Etymology tree English Cynic Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English Cynical From Cynic + -al.

Across languages

Translations

45 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: سَاخِر (sāḵir) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Armenian: ցինիկ (cʻinik) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Belarusian: цыні́чны (cyníčny) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Bulgarian: цини́чен (ciníčen) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Catalan: cínic — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 玩世不恭 (wánshìbùgōng) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Czech: cynický — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Danish: kynisk — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Dutch: cynisch — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Finnish: kyyninen — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • French: cynique — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Galician: cínico — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Greek: κυνικός (kynikós) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Greek: ωμός (omós) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Italian: cinico — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Japanese: 皮肉な (hiniku na) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Korean: 냉소적 (naengsojeok) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Korean: 랭소적 (raengsojeok) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Macedonian: циничен (ciničen) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Malay: sinis — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Māori: pūhohe — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kynisk — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kynisk — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Polish: cyniczny — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Portuguese: cínico — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Romanian: cinic — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Russian: цини́чный (ciníčnyj) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Scottish Gaelic: dranndanach — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Scottish Gaelic: searbhasach — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Serbo-Croatian: цѝничан — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Serbo-Croatian: cìničan — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Slovak: cynický — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Slovene: ciničen — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Spanish: cínico — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Spanish: resabiado — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Spanish: resabioso — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Spanish: sotreta — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Swedish: cynisk — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Turkish: küçümseyici — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Turkish: sinik — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Turkish: kinik — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Ukrainian: цині́чний (cyníčnyj) — of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness
  • Esperanto: seniluzia — skeptical of the integrity, sincerity, or motives of others
  • German: zynisch — bitterly or jadedly distrustful or contemptuous; mocking
  • German: zynisch — showing contempt for accepted moral standards by one's actions
Real reading context

cynical in complete knowledge articles