cynic

CEFRC1

/ˈsɪnɪk/

noun · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A person who believes people are mainly selfish and dishonest.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness.

Examples

  • Scratch a cynic and you'll find a disappointed idealist.

  • Weary of life, Tom became a cynic.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
2

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. cynical (in all senses)

  2. A person whose outlook is scornfully negative.

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. Relating to the Dog Star.

More examples

In context

  • the cynic, or Sothic, year; cynic cycle

  • "Accept your limitations," I'd warn her. "A lot of these kids are damaged beyond repair." And you know what her response was? That I was cynical. Which hit a nerve, I had to admit. I wasn't a cynic; I was a banged-up realist. You live to middle age, you begin...

  • The cynic surfaced, reminding him that she'd been accused of trying to spring the baby trap on Brad Comfort.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The old blank doubted every politician's promise during the election season.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English cynike, cynicke, from Middle French cynique, from Latin cynicus, from Ancient Greek κυνικός (kunikós), originally derived from the portico in Athens called Κυνόσαργες (Kunósarges), the earliest home of the Cynic school, later reinterpreted as being derived from κύων (kúōn, “dog”), in a contemptuous allusion to the uncouth and aggressive manners adopted by the members of the school.