cynic
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cynic¹
- /ˈsɪnɪk/
Sounds like Sinic · Rhymes with -ɪnɪk
Where it comes from
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.
noun cynics · cynick
- A person whose outlook is scornfully negative. 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.
- A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness.
adjective more cynic · most cynic · cynick
-
Synonym of cynical.
Similar: cynical
- Relating to the Dog Star. the cynic, or Sothic, year; cynic cycle
Cynic²
Rhymes with -ɪnɪk
Where it comes from
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.
noun 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.
adjective
- Of or relating to the Cynics.
Translations
Every language
adj A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness
| Español | cínico |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 愤青 fènqīng |
| हिन्दी | दोषदर्शी doṣdarśī |
| Português | cínico |
| Français | cynique |
| Deutsch | Zyniker, Zynikerin |
| Italiano | cinico |
| Ελληνικά | κυνικός kynikós |
| Русский | ци́ник cínik |
| עברית | ציניקן tziniqan, ציניקנית tziniqanit |
adj A person whose outlook is scornfully negative
| Español | cínico |
|---|---|
| Português | cínico, cínica |
| Français | cynique |
| Deutsch | Zyniker, Zynikerin |
| Italiano | cinico |
| Ελληνικά | κυνικός kynikós |
| Русский | ци́ник cínik |
Talk about this word "cynic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/cynic. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. cynic. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/cynic "cynic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/cynic.Cite this
@misc{cynic_2026,
title = {cynic},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/cynic},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
