cynicaladjective
uk/ˈsɪn.ɪ.kəl/us/ˈsɪn.ɪ.kəl/disapprovingC2 believing that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere:
She has a pretty cynical view of men.
I've always been deeply cynical about politicians.
used to say that someone's feelings or emotions are used to your own advantage:
She works in that most cynical of industries - advertising.
He praises my cooking but it's just a cynical ploy to get me to make him dinner.
More examples
- Many people have become cynical about the stage-managed debates between politicians which regularly appear on television.
- 15 years in the teaching profession had left him world-weary and cynical.
- "He's only pretending to like classical music so that Emma will go out with him." "Don't be so cynical - you don't know that."
- I thought the actor's appeal was very moving, but my husband saw it as a cynical attempt to get publicity.
- How did my trusting little child suddenly turn into such an angry, cynical teenager?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Suspecting & questioning
- call
- call into question idiom
- cynic
- dispute
- doubter
- I'd like to see... idiom
- if
- misgiving
- niggle
- query
- question
- reservation
- sceptical
- skeptic
- skeptical
- smell
- smell a rat idiom
- suspect
- suspiciously
- suss
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Controlling and being in charge
cynically
adverb uk/ˈsɪn.ɪ.kəl.i/us/ˈsɪn.ɪ.kəl.i/
cynicism
noun [ U ] uk/ˈsɪn.ɪ.sɪ.zəm/us/ˈsɪn.ə.sɪ.zəm/
He's often been accused of cynicism in his attitude towards politics.