Meaning & use
cynical
Believing that people are motivated mainly by self-interest and doubting the sincerity of their good intentions.
See it in a sentence
He gave a cynical laugh when the politician promised to fix every problem in one term.
Years of being let down had made her cynical about most charity campaigns.
A note on using this word
Cynical describes a general distrust of motives, while 'skeptical' more narrowly means doubting the truth of a specific claim.
Words with a similar meaning
skepticaldistrustful
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
idealistictrusting
Make it your own
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