Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cynicism

/ˈsɪn.ɪˌsɪzəm/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.13 in modern English

Syllables: cyn-i-cism
IPA: /ˈsɪn.ɪˌsɪzəm/

17

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

4

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A distrustful attitude.

Uncountable

noun

An emotion of jaded negativity, or a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others, due to belief that people are motivated solely by disguised self-interest.

Uncountable

noun

A scornfully pessimistic comment or act.

Countable

noun

A school of thought in the philosophy of Ancient Greece.

Uncountable

name

the philosophy of the Greek Cynics

Etymology

From Cynicism, cynic + -ism; compare cynism.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: cynic

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈsɪn.ɪˌsɪzəm/

Usage

Inflected Forms

cynicisms (plural)

Phrases

legal cynicism

Frequently Paired Words

cynic cynical cynically skepticism

Homonyms

Sinicism

Questions

How do you pronounce cynicism?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsɪn.ɪˌsɪzəm/.
What does cynicism mean?: A distrustful attitude.
Where does cynicism come from?: From Cynicism, cynic + -ism; compare cynism.

How to pronounce cynicism

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cynicism”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈsɪn.ɪˌsɪzəm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “cynicism”.
Repeat and practice — Say “cynicism” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.