Meanings
cynic1
plural cynics · alternative obsolete cynick
- A person whose outlook is scornfully negative.
The cynic surfaced, reminding him that she'd been accused of trying to spring the baby trap on Brad Comfort.
2010, Kathy Lynn Emerson, Family Lies2 more examples
Well, that's one in the eye for the nay-sayers, the doubters, the cynics and assorted tosspots what make up the media and that.
2000 June 13, Darren Tackle, The Guardian"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 to reckon with life's limits, you know? You lace up your sneakers and run it out.
2008, Wally Lamb, The Hour I First Believed, Ch.2, at p.29-30 - A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness.
comparative more cynic · superlative most cynic · alternative obsolete cynick
Cynic2
plural Cynics
- A member of a sect of Ancient Greek philosophers who believed virtue to be the only good and self-control to be the only means of achieving virtue.
- not comparableOf or relating to the Cynics.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveSynonym of cynical.
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomeone who is critical of the motives of others
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
cynic · noun, adjective
- Ancient Greekκυνικός
- Latincynicus
- Middle Frenchcynique
- Middle Englishcynike
- Englishcynic
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.
More words from Middle English, Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cynic · noun, adjective
- Ancient GreekΚυνικός
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱwṓ
- LatinCynicus
- EnglishCynic
First used in English around 1540–50. From Latin Cynicus (cynic philosopher), from Ancient Greek Κυνικός (Kunikós, from κύων (kúōn, “dog”, see Proto-Indo-European *ḱwṓ) + -ικός (-ikós), literally “doglike, currish”). The word may have first been applied to Cynics because of the nickname κύων (kúōn, “dog”) given to Diogenes of Sinope, the prototypical Cynic.
More words from Latin, Proto-Indo-European, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek Κυνικός
- Κυνικός (Kunikós)philosopher
Arabic كَلْبِيّ, كَلْبِيّ
- كَلْبِيّ (kalbiyy)philosopher
- كَلْبِيّ (kalbiyy)relating to the Cynics
Chinese Mandarin 愤青
- 愤青 (fènqīng)A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
Czech cynik, cynik
- cynikA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- cynikA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Danish kyniker, kyniker
- kynikerA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- kynikerA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Dutch cynicus, cynicus
- cynicusA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- cynicusA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Esperanto ciniko, cinika
- cinikophilosopher
- cinikarelating to the Cynics
Finnish kyynikko, kyynikko
- kyynikkoA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- kyynikkoA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
French cynique, cynique
- cyniqueA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- cyniqueA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
- cyniquephilosopher
German Zyniker, Zynikerin
- ZynikerA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- ZynikerinA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- ZynikerA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
- ZynikerinA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
- Kynikerphilosopher
- Kynikerinphilosopher
- kynischrelating to the Cynics
Greek κυνικός, κυνικός
- κυνικός (kynikós)A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- κυνικός (kynikós)A person whose outlook is scornfully negative
- Κυνικός (Kynikós)philosopher
- κυνικός (kynikós)relating to the Cynics
Hebrew ציניקן, ציניקנית
- ציניקן (tziniqan)A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- ציניקנית (tziniqanit)A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
Hindi दोषदर्शी
- दोषदर्शी (doṣdarśī)A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
Italian cinico, cinico
- cinicoA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- cinicoA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Japanese 犬儒
- 犬儒 (kenju)relating to the Cynics
Korean 견유
- 견유 (gyeonyu)relating to the Cynics
Latin Cynicus, Cynicus
- Cynicusphilosopher
- Cynicusrelating to the Cynics
Māori kaiwhakahāwea
- kaiwhakahāweaA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Norwegian Bokmål kyniker, kyniker
- kynikerA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- kynikerA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Persian بدگمان
- بدگمان (bad-gomân)A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
Polish cynik, cyniczka
- cynikA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- cyniczkaA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- cynikA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
- cyniczkaA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Portuguese cínico, cínico
- cínicoA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- cínicoA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
- cínicaA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Russian ци́ник, ци́ник
- ци́ник (cínik)A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- ци́ник (cínik)A person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Spanish cínico, cínico
- cínicoA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- cínicoA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Swedish cyniker, cyniker
- cynikerA person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
- cynikerA person whose outlook is scornfully negative
Ukrainian ци́нік
- ци́нік (cýnik)A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with cynic
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
cynic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cynic
“cynic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cynic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cynic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cynic.
Source: cynic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.