View source for Cynical

{{also|Cynical}}
==English==

====Adjective====
{{en-adj}}

# of or related to the belief that human actions are [[motivation|motivated]] only or primarily by [[base]] [[desire]]s or [[selfishness]].
# [[skeptical]] of the [[integrity]], [[sincerity]], or motives of others.
# [[bitter]]ly or [[jaded]]ly [[distrustful]] or [[contemptuous]]; [[mocking]].
# showing [[contempt]] for accepted [[moral]] [[standard]]s by one's actions.
# {{context|medicine|rare}} like the actions of a [[snarl]]ing [[dog]].

===Adverbs for Cynical===
bitterly; harshly; gloomily; contemptuously; derisively; scornfully; sneeringly; disdainfully; morosely; witheringly; superciliously; pitifully; censoriously; abusively; scandalously; outrageously; dryly; cuttingly; disparagingly; insufferably; pompously; arrogantly; bumptiously.

===Synonyms for Cynical===
[[sneering]], [[contemptuous]], [[pessimistic]], [[distrustful]], [[petulant]], [[testy]], [[satirical]], [[doubtful]]. 

===Antonyms for Cynical===
[[hopeful]], [[believing]], [[calm]], [[pleasant]], [[good-natured]].

===Thesaurus===
[[Cassandra-like]], [[Cassandran]], [[Cassandrian]], [[Rabelaisian]], [[Timonistic]], [[antisocial]], [[captious]], [[carping]], [[caustic]], [[caviling]], [[critical]], [[defeatist]], [[dismal]], [[downbeat]], [[dry]], [[faultfinding]], [[gloomy]], [[hairsplitting]], [[hypercritical]], [[ironic]], [[man-hating]], [[misogynous]], [[nagging]], [[negative]], [[negativistic]], [[niggling]], [[nihilistic]], [[overcritical]], [[pessimist]], [[pessimistic]], [[pettifogging]], [[quibbling]], [[sarcastic]], [[sardonic]], [[satiric]], [[sexist]], [[trichoschistic]], [[ultracritical]], [[uncheerful]], [[unsociable]], [[woman-hating]]

===Etymology===
Originated 1580–90 from ''[[cynic]]''+''[[-al]]''.

===Pronunciation===
* {{audio|En-us-cynical.ogg|Audio (US)}}

* {{homophones|sinical}}

==Translations==
{{trans-top|of or related to the belief that human actions are motivated by base desires or selfishness}}
* Bulgarian: {{t|bg|циничен|tr=ciníčen|sc=Cyrl}}
* Chinese:
*: Mandarin: {{t|zh|玩世不恭|tr=[[wánshìbùgōng]]|sc=Hani}}
* Croatian: {{t-|hr|ciničan|alt=cìničan}}
* Czech: {{t+|cs|cynický|m}}
* Danish: {{t-|da|kynisk}}
* Dutch: {{t-|nl|cynisch}}
* French: {{t+|fr|cynique}}
* German: {{t+|de|zynisch}}
* Greek: {{t+|el|κυνικός|tr=kinikós}}
{{trans-mid}}
* Italian: {{t+|it|cinico}}
* Japanese: {{t|ja|皮肉|tr=ひにくな, hiniku-na|alt=皮肉な|sc=Jpan}}
* Norwegian:
*: Bokmål: {{t|nb|kynisk}}
*: Nynorsk: {{t|nn|kynisk}}
* Russian: {{t|ru|циничный|tr=ciníčnyj|sc=Cyrl}}
* [[Scottish Gaelic]]: {{t-|gd|dranndanach|xs=Scottish Gaelic}}, {{t-|gd|searbhasach|xs=Scottish Gaelic}}
* Spanish: {{t+|es|cínico}}
{{trans-bottom}}

===References===
* {{R:American Heritage 2000|cynical}}
* {{R:Dictionary.com|cynical}}
* {{R:WordNet 2003|cynical}}