a person who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions and who disbelieves in or minimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of view.

( initial capital letter ) one of a sect of Greek philosophers, 4th century b.c., who advocated the doctrines that virtue is the only good, that the essence of virtue is self-control, and that surrender to any external influence is beneath human dignity.

a person who shows or expresses a bitterly or sneeringly cynical attitude.

cynical.

( initial capital letter ) Also, Cynical. of or pertaining to the Cynics or their doctrines.

Medicine/Medical Now Rare . resembling the actions of a snarling dog.

noun

believer , optimist

noun

carper , caviler , detractor , disbeliever , doubter , doubting thomas * , egoist , egotist , flouter , misanthrope , misanthropist , misogamist , misogynist , mocker , pessimist , questioner , satirist , scoffer , skeptic , sneerer , unbelievernotes:cynics doubt because they question motives (cynic was first a school of philosophy expressing contempt for wealth and pleasure; the word cynic comes from greek cyniko \'doglike\'); skeptics doubt reports of what they hear or read , unbeliever

adjective

ironic , ironical , sardonic , wry