cynicism
definition
an attitude of distrust or skepticism toward the motives of others
example
Her cynicism about the politicians' promises made it hard for her to believe any of their proposals would be beneficial to the public.
synonyms
skepticismdistrustpessimism
word origin — The word 'cynicism' originates from the Ancient Greek 'kynismos', which relates to the Cynic philosophers who believed in living virtuously in agreement with nature.