Adjective

(en adjective)

Of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated only or primarily by base desires or selfishness.

*(Samuel Johnson) (1709-1784)

*:I hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received.

Skeptical of the integrity, sincerity, or motives of others.

Bitterly or jadedly distrustful or contemptuous; mocking.

*

*:He seldom talked, and when he did, it was usually to make some cynical remark-for instance, he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies.

Showing contempt for accepted moral standards by one's actions.

*

*:When he, at Neergard's cynical suggestion, had consented to exploit his own cluband had consented to resign from it to do so, he had every reason to believe that Neergard meant to either mulct them heavily or buy them out. In either case, having been useful to Neergard, his profits from the transaction would have been considerable.

Like the actions of a snarling dog.

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Adjective

(en adjective)

(obsolete) Fictitious, imaginary.

Fantastic, unrealistic (of an idea etc.); fanciful, sentimental, impractical (of a person).

Having the qualities of romance (in the sense of something appealing deeply to the imagination); invoking on a powerfully sentimental idea of life; evocative, atmospheric.

*

But here is an artist. He desires to paint you the dreamiest, shadiest, quietest, most enchanting bit of romantic landscape in all the valley of the Saco.

* 1897 , Henry James, What Maisie Knew :

Somehow she wasn't a real sister, but that only made her the more romantic .

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838, page=71, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= End of the peer show , passage=Finance is seldom romantic . But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. Those that want to borrow are matched with those that want to lend.}}

Pertaining to an idealised form of love (originally, as might be felt by the heroes of a romance); conducive to romance; loving, affectionate.