as in desperation
cynical beliefs; beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest
Nothing could change her cynicism about politics.
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Recent Examples of cynicism
What makes Becky Shaw so fulfilling is its cynicism about love and its ruthless method of hurling those frustrations at its audience.
—
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
This journalistic cynicism amid government ham-handedness shattered something precious too.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
And underlying them all is an unexpectedly sincere exploration of what true love can or should feel like, pitched right on the knife’s edge between sentimentality and cynicism.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
Michael McKenzie plays Patrick Salamon, narrator and brother of Marcelle, and McKenzie is a standout, capturing both cynicism and wit.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
This journalistic cynicism amid government ham-handedness shattered something precious too.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
And underlying them all is an unexpectedly sincere exploration of what true love can or should feel like, pitched right on the knife’s edge between sentimentality and cynicism.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
Michael McKenzie plays Patrick Salamon, narrator and brother of Marcelle, and McKenzie is a standout, capturing both cynicism and wit.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynicism
Noun
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According to some experts, this paralyzing fear and desperation are factors that scammers exploit to put their criminal schemes into action.—
Albinson Linares,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
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But her desperation seems exposed at Cupertino, too, where Little Tim mocks her for her dim suggestion that psychotherapists be deployed to the company’s Guangzhou factory to cool down a labor crisis.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The scene where Artax the horse gets stuck in the swamps of sadness?—
Redazione People,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
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Family members said it’s been a long road of frustration, agony and sadness watching Hitchcock’s death sentences get overturned three times amid the nearly a dozen appeals his attorneys have filed over the decades.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The play charts his despair and hope, as well as his unlikely romance with a prison volunteer (Tessa Thompson).—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Denials, appeals and habeas corpus Juan and Donovan’s emotions swing wildly between hope and despair, depending on the day.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Unique is meant to embody that racial trauma, but Moore doesn’t possess the grit necessary to make the pain and sorrow resonate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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The reader feels the moment’s vitality and presence, and the sorrow at its loss, but not because Ford insists on it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hope springs eternal in Mamdaniland Despite all the doom and gloom in Mets Nation right now, there are still 140 games left to play in the regular season, a point Mamdani emphasized on Tuesday.—
Jeff Capellini,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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And Sahm told Fortune the gloom isn’t just about this spring.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The other featured a comeback that saw hopelessness turn into jubilation.—
Peter Warren,
Houston Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
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For her and many other Iranians who spoke to CNN – their surnames withheld to protect their identities – the past three weeks have been filled with a sense of hopelessness and fear.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The poll, conducted at the beginning of April, adds to a picture of economic gloom in the US, as Americans worry about the affordability of gas and other necessities and express pessimism about the job market.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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Gallup’s findings on Americans’ mounting financial pessimism suggests many households already believe the economy is working against them instead of for them.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His reputation, as captured by obituaries in the Guardian and the Times of London, is one of genteel melancholy and precise social observation.—
Charlie Tyson,
Harpers Magazine,
21 Apr. 2026
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Still, the achievement carried a touch of melancholy for Lovell.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cynicism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynicism. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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