nihilistic

adjective

as in cynical

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nihilistic What comes off as cavalier risk-taking is really a cover for something much more nihilistic. — Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026 Swatting is just one criminal element associated with 764, which federal authorities have characterized as a network of nihilistic violent extremists. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 Casting Gen Z’s reactions as nihilistic obscures the values and institutional distrust connected to them and fails to appreciate their egalitarian and pragmatic ideals. — Evan Clarkson, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026 Especially as a Black woman, it was definitely perceived as nihilistic. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 30 July 2026 There was this idea, obviously mainly from white people, but also from a section of the Black community, that the film was just too extreme, violent, and nihilistic. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 July 2026 There’s also a nihilistic tilt to singles off Charli’s new album Music, Fashion, Film. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 23 July 2026 Investigators are continuing to build a picture of the two suspects in the deadly Monday shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego which killed three people, and which law enforcement officials say may have been driven by nihilistic and accelerationist extremism. — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 20 May 2026 Looksmaxxing embraces superficiality and body dysmorphia, an alarmingly nihilistic online trend that prioritizes physical attractiveness above all else. — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nihilistic
  1. cynical
  2. fatalistic
  3. nihilist
  4. pessimistic
Adjective
  • Unauthorized sequels reveal the extremes of why people make movies in the first place, from purely cynical money grabs to pure — even naive — devotion to characters and their world.
    — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, an irritable, cynical weatherman sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to report a story about the town’s quaint groundhog ceremony.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of cynical
Adjective
  • With its fourth chapter, Reacher goes full neo-noir, embracing the genre’s fatalistic, gloomy approach while staying true to its action roots.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The mystery character, played by Sadie Sink, is also dealing with her own demons of loss and fatalistic desperation.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of fatalistic
Adjective
  • Advertisement Just as Nietzsche warned of the dangers of a nihilist moral void leading to societal decay, the current disregard for responsible data practices could erode trust in institutions and perpetuate systemic inequalities.
    — Alice Xiang, Time, 6 May 2026
  • Our impressively multicultural team of street racers now freelance in the shadowy and complex world of covert ops, jetting around the world to take down an increasingly unhinged array of nihilist supervillains.
    — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of nihilist
Adjective
  • Yet these concepts often seem lost on the many economists who think many Americans are overly pessimistic.
    — Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And not be pessimistic either, but the Blaugrana are just one injury to Pau Cubarsi away from having Gerard Martin and Eric Garcia as their main center backs.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of pessimistic

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Cite this Entry

“Nihilistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nihilistic. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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