Cynical has a certain amount of dog in its ancestry, although not in the way that you might think. In ancient Greece, the followers of the philosopher Antisthenes were referred to as kynikos (“doglike”); when cynical was first used in English, it often was in reference to this group of philosophers.
A number of other English words have a canine history as well: harass can be traced to a word in Middle French (harer) meaning “to set a dog on;” sarcasm comes from a Greek word (sarkazein) which means “to tear flesh like dogs;” and even the word for a completely different animal, the canary, comes from a word for dog (the explanation for this seeming incongruity is that the bird comes from the Canary Islands, the name of which comes from the Latin for “dog islands,” Canariae insulae).
cynical implies having a sneering disbelief in sincerity or integrity.
cynical about politicians' motives
misanthropic suggests a rooted distrust and dislike of human beings and their society.
a solitary and misanthropic artist
pessimistic implies having a gloomy, distrustful view of life.
pessimistic about the future
Example Sentences
… if more and more people out there are willing to kill themselves in order to kill us, we've got to give the poor and cynical of the world something positive to believe in. Robert Reich, Prospect, February 2003When "Roots" premiered on the ABC network in 1977, my generation of black academics and activists was cynical and outraged. We felt the horrors of slavery were rendered flat and lifeless by the miniseries … Houston A. Baker, Jr., Vibe, February 2002It was fear of the Other, the poor, the dying—or to evoke a word with biblical authority—the pestilential. And so I could no longer be cynical about her motives. Bharati Mukherjee, Time, 14 June 1999… was quiet spoken, but he had a cynical arch to his brows, as though he were repressing an urge to sneer. Joseph Wambaugh, The Blooding, 1989Cynical people say there is no such thing as true love. People are so cynical nowadays. She's become more cynical in her old age. Some people regard the governor's visit to the hospital as a cynical attempt to win votes. See More
Recent Examples on the WebBaghdad has prevented the exploitation and export of the Kurds’ petroleum reserves based on a flawed and cynical reading of the Iraqi Constitution. Bernard-henri Lévy, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 Inside a huge hotel ballroom, on a stage in front of a hundred or so cynical, bleary-eyed sports writers, Mack Brown delivered what might have been the most stirring pregame press conference of all time. Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 6 Sep. 2022 Granted, societal greed has reached epic proportions, but accepting the idea that invitations are issued only to extract presents is too cynical even for Miss Manners. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2022 Debate’s appeal is simultaneously idyllic and cynical. Tess Mcnulty, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 And yet never before Season 4 did its deployment of violence seem quite so cynical. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 14 Aug. 2022 Politicians, being generally cynical, are understood to want nothing so much as to be elected. Benjamin Wallace-wells, The New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2022 TikTok users have become increasingly cynical toward the music industry’s online presence, many of them pointing to certain posts from artists that seemed inauthentic. Morgan Sung, NBC News, 24 May 2022 The premise may sound corny, but there’s an atmosphere of genuine enthusiasm and kindness that will charm even the most cynical of listeners. Emma Dibdin, BostonGlobe.com, 3 July 2022 See More