<p><strong>犬儒</strong></p>
<p><strong>KEY</strong> defines it as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>cynic (esp. as Greek philosophical school)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>and <strong>汉语大词典</strong> defines it as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>原指古 希腊 犬儒学派的哲学家。他们提出绝对的个人精神自由, 轻视一切社会虚套、习俗和文化规范, 过着禁欲的简陋生活, 被当时人讥为穷犬, 故称。后亦泛指具有这些特点的人。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here’s an example of usage by 鲁迅 from <em>Miscellaneous Thoughts</em></p>
<blockquote>
<p>《小杂感》</p>
<p>蜜蜂的刺, 一用即丧失了它自己的生命；犬儒的刺, 一用则苟延了他自己的生命。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Which translates to something roughly like:</p>
<p>The sting of a bee, once used terminates his life; the sting of a cynic, on the other hand, is able to prolong his existence.</p>
<p><a href="https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=uuczDwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA208&amp;lpg=PA208&amp;dq=Once%20a%20bee%20uses%20its%20sting,%20it%20loses%20its%20life%20immediately.%20Once%20a%20cynic%20uses%20his%20sting,%20he%20drags%20out%20his%20life%20momentarily.&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=vpA7j2RlPc&amp;sig=Lg5sq0u1esvH_YaGe3UyxW4FEK4&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjsmO7w69PYAhXJtI8KHfV-AJAQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&amp;q=Once%20a%20bee%20uses%20its%20sting%2C%20it%20loses%20its%20life%20immediately.%20Once%20a%20cynic%20uses%20his%20sting%2C%20he%20drags%20out%20his%20life%20momentarily.&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Eileen J. Cheng's</a> translation:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Once a bee uses its sting, it loses its life immediately. Once a cynic uses his sting, he drags out his life momentarily.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If it is good enough for Mr. Lu Xun then it should be good enough for anyone.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T01:39:32.933Z
2018-01-13T02:01:50.357Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Mou某
<p>A lot of the Chinese words used to translate the word "cynical" don't seem to convey the idea of "not trusting a given (or accepted) answer" or "questioning". "愤世嫉俗", for example, really has to do with feeling outraged at social injustice (and lack of enlightenment). "玩世不恭" describes the type of person/attitude where one takes nothing seriously (esp. in regard to social, political matters). "犬儒学派" goes to the ancient Greek root of the word "cynic" ("dog" or "dog-like" - which describes someone like Diogenes)--which is not wrong, but how many English speakers associate the word "cynic" with "dog"? "非信非疑" isn't quite right either, because it simply states "neither believe nor disbelieve"-not exactly "actively questioning".</p>

<p>The closest I have come across is "持怀疑态度". Although this is not a catchy 成语 (proverb), it expresses the idea of "actively not believing". "怀疑", by the way, means "suspecting" by itself, but "怀疑态度" is the "attitude of not believing/accepting without questioning".</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-27T15:50:20.400Z
But isn't 持怀疑态度 used often to describe someone's thoughts or attitude toward a specific thing? For example 「我對他的承諾持怀疑态度。」
Divide1918
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-15T16:28:05.280Z
2018-01-15T16:28:05.280Z
YCode
<p>玩世不恭 could be the one that  comes to my mind. It has a similar meaning as 愤世嫉俗, which is cynicism or be cynical. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T04:37:49.387Z
2018-01-13T04:37:49.387Z
dan
<blockquote>
<p>尖酸 <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/57853/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/57853/</a></p>
<p>acrid; acrimonious; tart; <strong>sarcastic</strong>; mordant</p>
</blockquote>
<p>尖= sharp (tongue); 酸= sour (tone). It is how '<strong>cynical</strong>' feels like. A '尖酸' person is a 'cynical' person</p>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>尖酸刻薄 <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/16522/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/16522/</a></p>
<p>sharp and unkind (words)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It can also be used as an adjective to describe a personality</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-12T18:53:34.917Z
2018-01-12T19:09:17.827Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>What are the best words that approximate the meaning of "cynical" closest? The traditional "憤世嫉俗" sounds not quite to-the-point; "憤世嫉俗" can be attached a positive meaning that describes the character of an upright man. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-12T18:48:47.303Z
http://www.iciba.com/cynical 损人利己，见利忘义，只顾自己不顾他人，http://www.ichacha.net/cynical.html
爱嘲笑人的，冷嘲热讽的，讥诮的；玩世不恭的
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-12T19:56:08.347Z
search site for previous Q&A: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22849/in-chinese-how-can-i-describe-someone-as-being-cynical
user6065
<translation><word-choice>
Best words in Chinese characterizing "cynical"?
# Best words in Chinese characterizing "cynical"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-12)

What are the best words that approximate the meaning of "cynical" closest? The traditional "憤世嫉俗" sounds not quite to-the-point; "憤世嫉俗" can be attached a positive meaning that describes the character of an upright man.

**Tags:** translation, word-choice
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: http://www.iciba.com/cynical 损人利己，见利忘义，只顾自己不顾他人，http://www.ichacha.net/cynical.html 爱嘲笑人的，冷嘲热讽的，讥诮的；玩世不恭的  
> **username_1**: search site for previous Q&A: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22849/in-chinese-how-can-i-describe-someone-as-being-cynical  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-01-13. Score: 2

**犬儒**

**KEY** defines it as:

> cynic (esp. as Greek philosophical school)

and **汉语大词典** defines it as:

> 原指古 希腊 犬儒学派的哲学家。他们提出绝对的个人精神自由, 轻视一切社会虚套、习俗和文化规范, 过着禁欲的简陋生活, 被当时人讥为穷犬, 故称。后亦泛指具有这些特点的人。

Here’s an example of usage by 鲁迅 from *Miscellaneous Thoughts*

> 《小杂感》
>
> 蜜蜂的刺, 一用即丧失了它自己的生命；犬儒的刺, 一用则苟延了他自己的生命。

Which translates to something roughly like:

The sting of a bee, once used terminates his life; the sting of a cynic, on the other hand, is able to prolong his existence.

[Eileen J. Cheng's](https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=uuczDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA208&lpg=PA208&dq=Once%20a%20bee%20uses%20its%20sting,%20it%20loses%20its%20life%20immediately.%20Once%20a%20cynic%20uses%20his%20sting,%20he%20drags%20out%20his%20life%20momentarily.&source=bl&ots=vpA7j2RlPc&sig=Lg5sq0u1esvH_YaGe3UyxW4FEK4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjsmO7w69PYAhXJtI8KHfV-AJAQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=Once%20a%20bee%20uses%20its%20sting%2C%20it%20loses%20its%20life%20immediately.%20Once%20a%20cynic%20uses%20his%20sting%2C%20he%20drags%20out%20his%20life%20momentarily.&f=false) translation:

> Once a bee uses its sting, it loses its life immediately. Once a cynic uses his sting, he drags out his life momentarily.

If it is good enough for Mr. Lu Xun then it should be good enough for anyone.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-01-15. Score: 1

A lot of the Chinese words used to translate the word "cynical" don't seem to convey the idea of "not trusting a given (or accepted) answer" or "questioning". "愤世嫉俗", for example, really has to do with feeling outraged at social injustice (and lack of enlightenment). "玩世不恭" describes the type of person/attitude where one takes nothing seriously (esp. in regard to social, political matters). "犬儒学派" goes to the ancient Greek root of the word "cynic" ("dog" or "dog-like" - which describes someone like Diogenes)--which is not wrong, but how many English speakers associate the word "cynic" with "dog"? "非信非疑" isn't quite right either, because it simply states "neither believe nor disbelieve"-not exactly "actively questioning".

The closest I have come across is "持怀疑态度". Although this is not a catchy 成语 (proverb), it expresses the idea of "actively not believing". "怀疑", by the way, means "suspecting" by itself, but "怀疑态度" is the "attitude of not believing/accepting without questioning".

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: But isn't 持怀疑态度 used often to describe someone's thoughts or attitude toward a specific thing? For example 「我對他的承諾持怀疑态度。」  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2018-01-13. Score: 0

玩世不恭 could be the one that comes to my mind. It has a similar meaning as 愤世嫉俗, which is cynicism or be cynical.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2018-01-12. Score: 0

> 尖酸 <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/57853/>
>
> acrid; acrimonious; tart; **sarcastic**; mordant

尖= sharp (tongue); 酸= sour (tone). It is how '**cynical**' feels like. A '尖酸' person is a 'cynical' person

~

> 尖酸刻薄 <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/16522/>
>
> sharp and unkind (words)

It can also be used as an adjective to describe a personality


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