cynicism

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A belief that people act mainly out of self-interest, not honesty or kindness.

   Grammar: Uncountable; no plural. Use 'a sense of cynicism' or 'deep cynicism'.

   Patterns

   • cynicism about something
   • deep cynicism
   • widespread cynicism

   His cynicism about politics made him distrust every promise.

   There is growing cynicism among young voters.

   She tried to hide her cynicism behind a smile.

2. 2noununcountable

   An attitude of mocking disbelief toward people's good intentions or ideals.

   Grammar: Often used with 'with' to show the tone: 'with cynicism'.

   Patterns

   • with cynicism
   • treat something with cynicism

   He greeted the charity's announcement with cynicism.

   Her cynicism about human nature grew after years in the job.

Common combinations

deep cynicism

Years of broken promises had created deep cynicism in the community.

growing cynicism

Growing cynicism about the media is a concern for journalists.

cynicism about

Her cynicism about love faded when she met him.

with cynicism

He spoke with cynicism about the company's motives.

public cynicism

Public cynicism toward politicians is at an all-time high.

Synonyms and how they differ

skepticism

Skepticism means doubting claims until evidence is shown; cynicism goes further and assumes bad motives.

distrust

Distrust is a general lack of trust; cynicism is a broader worldview about human selfishness.

pessimism

Pessimism expects bad outcomes; cynicism specifically doubts people's goodness.

Opposites

Word family

cynic noun

A person who believes people are motivated by self-interest.

cynical adjective

Showing cynicism; distrustful of good motives.

cynically adverb

In a cynical manner.

Commonly confused: cynicism or skepticism?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “cynicism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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