Link Centre Dictionary

cynical

cy·ni·cal

UK/ˈsɪnɪkəl/ US/ˈsɪnɪkʌl/ fairly common

adjective

1.

believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others

Synonyms
Similar

Origin

Originated 1542, from Classical Latin cynicus (“Cynic/cynic”, adjective) + -al. By surface analysis, cynic + -al. In reference to dogs, with allusion to the ultimate etymology (Ancient Greek κυνικός (kunikós, “doglike”)).

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Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.