cynic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mr. Riley’s column reminds me of Oscar Wilde’s definition of a cynic: “A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Given the state of the government's popularity, you don't have to be a cynic to ask if these sorts of promises will be enough to turn things round.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

A cynic might argue that celebrities don’t want film and moviegoing as we know them to die because they don’t want to lose their source of income, and maybe that’s true for some.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026

But even a cynic might think that it would, for now, draw the line at the FTC.

From Slate • Sep. 22, 2025

The same Household Finance that had pushed Steve Eisman over the narrow border between Wall Street skeptic and Wall Street cynic.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis