CYNIC

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

• CYNIC (noun)
  The noun CYNIC has 2 senses:

1. someone who is critical of the motives of others

2. 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

  Familiarity information: CYNIC used as a noun is rare.

• CYNIC (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone who is critical of the motives of others

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

cynic; faultfinder

Hypernyms ("cynic" is a kind of...):

disagreeable person; unpleasant person (a person who is not pleasant or agreeable)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cynic"):

depreciator; detractor; disparager; knocker (one who disparages or belittles the worth of something)

Derivation:

cynical (believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Cynic" is a kind of...):

philosopher (a specialist in philosophy)

 Context examples 

For a moment it had turned me to a cynic.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)