A cynic is usually someone who expects people to act from selfish motivesreasons that cause someone to behave in a particular way and tends to doubt other people’s sincerityhonest, genuine feelings or truthfulness in what someone says or does. The word can also refer to a member of the ancient Greek Cynic school of philosophya system of ideas about knowledge, life, and how to live.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈsɪnɪk/
Easy pronunciation: SIN-ik (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable.
Use this pronunciation for the noun meaning a person who assumes other people are mainly selfish or dishonest.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Cynic Meaning
a person who assumes other people are mainly selfish or dishonest
Part of speech: noun
Definition: someone who is critical of the motives of others
Example: Don't be such a cynic — not everyone is trying to trick you.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- faultfinder — Close to this sense when it means someone who habitually looks for faults, though it is not a perfect everyday substitute for cynic.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Cynic
Meaning 2
an ancient Greek philosopher from the Cynic school
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a member of a group of ancient Greek philosophers who advocated the doctrine that virtue is the only good and that the essence of virtue is self-control
Example: Diogenes is one of the best-known Cynics.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Cynic Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- faultfinder
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes confuse cynic with cynical. Cynic is a noun for a person; cynical is the adjective.
- Do not use cynic for the ancient Greek philosophers unless you specifically mean a member of the Cynic school.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does cynic mean?
A cynic is someone who tends to doubt other people’s motives and expects selfishness or dishonesty.
What is a synonym for cynic?
Faultfinder is the main synonym supplied for the everyday sense, though it is not a perfect match in every context.
Is cynic the same as cynical?
No. Cynic is a noun for a person; cynical is the adjective describing that attitude.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.