cynic
A person whose outlook is scornfully negativeA person whose outlook is scornfully negative.
» Weary of life, Tom became a cynic.
Des Lebens überdrüssig, war Tom zu einem Zyniker geworden.
Meaning
2 sensesA person whose outlook is scornfully negative.
A person who believes that all people are motivated by selfishness.
- someone who is critical of the motives of others
- 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
Examples
14 sentencesWeary of life, Tom became a cynic.
deDes Lebens überdrüssig, war Tom zu einem Zyniker geworden. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
It's unbelievable what a cynic Tom is.
deEs ist unfassbar, was für ein Zyniker Tom ist! — Pfirsichbaeumchen
Scratch a cynic and you'll find a disappointed idealist.
ruПотри циника и увидишь разочарованного идеалиста. — Ooneykcall
That's just the jaundiced view of an old cynic.
ruЭто лишь скептический взгляд старого циника. — Ooneykcall
deDas ist nur die verbitterte Sicht eines alten Zynikers. — Yorwba
It's astonishing how much of a cynic Tom is.
ruПоразительно, до какой степени Том циничен. — Wezel
deEs ist unfassbar, was für ein Zyniker Tom ist! — Pfirsichbaeumchen
Origin
From Middle English cynike, cynicke, from Middle French cynique, from Latin cynicus, fromFrom 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.
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Forms
plural: cynicsSynonyms
1 synonyms- someone who is critical of the motives of others:faultfinder