| 释义 |
cynic
cyn·ic C0839800 (sĭn′ĭk)n.1. A person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness.2. A person whose outlook is scornfully and habitually negative.3. Cynic A member of a sect of ancient Greek philosophers who believed virtue to be the only good and self-control to be the only means of achieving virtue.adj.1. Cynical.2. Cynic Of or relating to the Cynics or their beliefs.
[Latin cynicus, Cynic philosopher, from Greek kunikos, from kuōn, kun-, dog; see kwon- in Indo-European roots.]Word History: The Greek word kunikos, from which cynic comes, was originally an adjective meaning "doglike," from kuōn, "dog." The use of the word kunikos to designate the Cynic philosophers may make reference to the Kunosarges, an athletic training area where Antisthenes, a pupil of Socrates, is said to have taught the foundations of Cynic philosophy: that virtue, rather than pleasure, is the only good, and that virtue can be attained only through rigorous self-control. Alternatively, the designation kunikos may make reference to Antisthenes' most famous student, Diogenes of Sinope, whom the people of Athens nicknamed ho kuōn, "the dog." Diogenes himself seems to have accepted this nickname as an apt description of the life he tried to lead, stripped of all elements of civilization and social convention that he considered superfluous and detrimental to virtue. Diogenes lived without shame out of an old wine jar in the public spaces of Athens and went barefoot in the snow to inure himself to cold, all the while reproaching the citizens of Athens for their addiction to worthless pleasures and luxuries. Even Alexander the Great admired Diogenes' determination and powers of self-denial in the pursuit of virtue. Once, when Diogenes was sunning himself outside, Alexander came up and stood over him. "Ask me any favor you wish," Alexander said. "Stand out of the sun," Diogenes replied. According to another anecdote, diners made fun of Diogenes at a banquet by throwing bones at him like a dog, and he responded by urinating on them. Tales like these have undoubtedly influenced the development of the meaning of the word cynic in English. When Cynic first appeared in English in the 1500s, it referred to the Cynic philosophers, but cynic and cynical were soon applied to anyone who finds fault in others in a contemptuous or sneering way. Eventually, cynic came to mean "one who believes selfishness determines human behavior"—very far from an accurate description of the ancient Cynic philosophers practicing asceticism and poverty and occasionally trying to shock their fellow citizens into virtue.cynic (ˈsɪnɪk) na person who believes the worst about people or the outcome of eventsadj1. a less common word for cynical2. (Astronomy) astronomy of or relating to Sirius, the Dog Star[C16: via Latin from Greek Kunikos, from kuōn dog]
Cynic (ˈsɪnɪk) n (Philosophy) a member of a sect founded by Antisthenes that scorned worldly things and held that self-control was the key to the only goodcyn•ic (ˈsɪn ɪk)
n. 1. a person who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions and who disbelieves in or minimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of view. 2. (cap.) 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. 3. a person with a bitterly or sneeringly cynical attitude. adj. 4. cynical. 5. (cap.) of or pertaining to the Cynics or their doctrines. [1540–50; < Latin Cynicus < Greek Kynikós Cynic, literally, doglike =kyn-, s. of kýōn dog] Thesaurus| Noun | 1. | cynic - someone who is critical of the motives of othersfaultfinderdisagreeable person, unpleasant person - a person who is not pleasant or agreeabledepreciator, detractor, disparager, knocker - one who disparages or belittles the worth of something | | 2. | Cynic - 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-controlphilosopher - a specialist in philosophy |
cynicnoun sceptic, doubter, pessimist, misanthrope, misanthropist, scoffer A cynic might see this as simply a ploy to make us part with more money.Quotations
"A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing" [Oscar Wilde Lady Windermere's Fan]
"The cynic is one who never sees a good quality in a man, and never fails to see a bad one" [H.W. Beecher Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit]
"cynic: a blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be" [Ambrose Bierce The Devil's Dictionary]cynicnounA person who expects only the worst from people:misanthrope, misanthropist.adjectiveMarked by or displaying contemptuous mockery of the motives or virtues of others:cynical, ironic, ironical, sardonic, wry.Translationscynical (ˈsinikəl) adjective inclined to believe the worst, especially about people. a cynical attitude. 憤世嫉俗的 愤世嫉俗的ˈcynically adverb 憤世嫉俗地 愤世嫉俗地ˈcynic noun a person who believes the worst about everyone. He is a cynic – he thinks no-one is really unselfish. 憤世嫉俗者 愤世嫉俗者ˈcynicism (-sizəm) noun 憤世嫉俗 犬儒主义，愤世嫉俗 cynic
cynic Astronomy of or relating to Sirius, the Dog Star
Cynic a member of a sect founded by Antisthenes that scorned worldly things and held that self-control was the key to the only good cynic
Related to cynic: skepticSynonyms for cynicnoun scepticSynonyms- sceptic
- doubter
- pessimist
- misanthrope
- misanthropist
- scoffer
Synonyms for cynicnoun a person who expects only the worst from peopleSynonymsadj marked by or displaying contemptuous mockery of the motives or virtues of othersSynonyms- cynical
- ironic
- ironical
- sardonic
- wry
Synonyms for cynicnoun someone who is critical of the motives of othersSynonymsRelated Words- disagreeable person
- unpleasant person
- depreciator
- detractor
- disparager
- knocker
noun 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-controlRelated Words |