- (a.) Having the qualities of a surly dog; snarling; captious; currish.
- (a.) Pertaining to the Dog Star; as, the cynic or Sothic, year; cynic cycle.
- (a.) Belonging to the sect of philosophers called cynics; having the qualities of a cynic; pertaining to or resembling, the doctrines of the cynics.
- (a.) Given to sneering at rectitude and the conduct of life by moral principles; disbelieving in the reality of any human purposes which are not suggested or directed by self-interest or self-indulgence; as, a cynical man who scoffs at pretensions of integrity; characterized by such opinions; as, cynical views of human nature.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). cynical. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/cynical/definitions/1994110 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "cynical" http://smartdefine.org/cynical/definitions/1994110 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, cynical, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/cynical/definitions/1994110>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "cynical" 27 May 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/cynical/definitions/1994110> |