1.
[syn: cynical, misanthropic, misanthropical]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cynic \Cyn"ic\ (s[i^]n"[i^]k), Cynical \Cyn"ic*al\ (-[i^]*kal),
a. [L. cynicus of the sect of Cynics, fr. Gr. kyniko`s,
prop., dog-like, fr. ky`wn, kyno`s, dog. See Hound.]
1. Having the qualities of a surly dog; snarling; captious;
currish.
I hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess
obligations where no benefit has been received.
--Johnson.
[1913 Webster]
2. Pertaining to the Dog Star; as, the cynic, or Sothic,
year; cynic cycle.
[1913 Webster]
3. Belonging to the sect of philosophers called cynics;
having the qualities of a cynic; pertaining to, or
resembling, the doctrines of the cynics.
[1913 Webster]
4. Given to sneering at rectitude and the conduct of life by
moral principles; believing the worst of human nature and
motives; disbelieving in the reality of any human purposes
which are not suggested or directed by self-interest or
self-indulgence; having a sneering disbelief in the
selflessness of others; as, a cynical man who scoffs at
pretensions of integrity; characterized by such opinions;
as, cynical views of human nature.
Syn: misanthropic, misanthropical.
[1913 Webster]
Note: In prose, cynical is used rather than cynic, in the
senses 1 and 4.
[1913 Webster]
Cynic spasm (Med.), a convulsive contraction of the muscles
of one side of the face, producing a sort of grin,
suggesting certain movements in the upper lip of a dog.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
cynical
adj 1: believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a
sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others [syn:
cynical, misanthropic, misanthropical]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
41 Moby Thesaurus words for "cynical":
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