->''"Always predict the worst and you’ll be hailed as a prophet."''
-->-- '''Music/TomLehrer'''

A character who believes that the world is, to put it lightly, a [[CrapsackWorld bad place.]] Whenever they describe something, expect them to AccentuateTheNegative. If someone puts forward an idealistic or optimistic premise, the cynic is about equally likely to respond with '[[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids That's moronic]],' as 'That's a nice idea in theory, but it's never going to happen', probably [[{{Deconstruction}} pointing out all the flaws]] as they go. This character may be angry or indifferent to their (perceived) CrapsackWorld, or may be heavily critical and [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastic]].

Note that a cynic differs from a pessimist - while pessimists may not necessarily see anything bad in someone else, they tend to be either [[NervousWreck nervous wrecks]] or [[TheEeyore just sad and depressed]] [[TheWoobie because they've been put through a lot of pain and hardships]]. Cynics, on the other hand, are typically abrasive and grouchy [[{{Jerkass}} jerkasses]] who find it hard to get pleasure out of things and put every single negative aspect of everything first, especially when it comes to other people and their motivations.

An extreme version of The Cynic is the StrawNihilist, who always expect the worst out of everyone and everything ([[FinaglesLaw Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, the world tends to maximum entropy]], HumansAreMorons and/or HumansAreBastards, and that morality is [[GreyAndGrayMorality grey and grey]], [[BlackAndGrayMorality grey and black]] or [[EvilVersusEvil black and black]]). If used badly, you can expect them being called out as {{wangst}}y.

The {{Trope Namer}}s, the Greek [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynicism Cynics,]] were not especially cynical as we now understand the term - they believed that people should reject all conventional notions of happiness, like those that involved wealth, power, fame, idealism, etc., and live a simple, natural life with no possessions, sharing some similarities with Buddhism. However, many of the Cynics (such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope Diogenes of Sinope]]) took the philosophy to its extreme, criticizing Classical idealism while also preaching poverty and ugliness ('cynic' is from the Greek word ''kynikos'', 'dog-like'). Which is why the Cynics are depicted by the Enlightenment as hateful {{Straw Nihilist}}s.

This character is likely to show up in either a CrapsackWorld, where they are always right, or in a SugarBowl, where [[TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong they exist solely to be proven wrong]]. Of course, in more realistic settings, more nuanced forms of cynics can also turn up, their rightness index varying.

Polar opposite of TheIdealist. Compare/contrast TheStoic. See also CynicismTropes, SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism.
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!!{{Sub Trope}}s:
[[index]]
* AntiHero
** KnightInSourArmor (if their core idealism is overshadowed by their cynicism)
* CynicalMentor
* CynicismCatalyst
* TheEeyore
* TheFatalist
* JadeColoredGlasses
* JadedProfessional
* JadedWashout
* MentorInSourArmor
* MisanthropeSupreme
* TheSnarkKnight
* SourSupporter
* StrawNihilist
* TookALevelInCynic
[[/index]]

This is a SuperTrope, so examples should go to the relevant subpages if possible.
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