Social Critique Vocabulary

noun a person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons

• The cynic in the group always found a way to criticize every decision made by the team.
• My friend is such a cynic, she never believes anything good will happen.
• Don't be such a cynic, give it a chance before judging it.
• The artist's work was often misunderstood by cynics who couldn't see the beauty in it.

adjective using or characterized by irony; happening in the opposite way to what is expected

• It is ironic that the company promoting healthy eating was caught serving expired food.
• Isn't it ironic that the weather forecast said sunny skies but it's raining outside?
• It's so ironic that she said she hates drama but always starts it herself.
• The irony of his success is that he never wanted to be in the spotlight.

noun a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result

• The irony of the situation is that the man who never wanted children ended up being the best father.
• It's ironic how the weather forecast said it would be sunny all day, but it's been raining non-stop.
• The irony of the whole thing is that she said she hated drama, but she's always in the middle of it.
• The irony of life is that sometimes the people who claim to care the most are the ones who hurt you the most.

noun speech or action intended to cause contemptuous laughter at someone or something; derision

verb subject (someone or something) to contemptuous and dismissive language or behavior

• The politician faced ridicule from the public after his controversial statement.
• Don't ridicule her for being different, embrace her uniqueness instead.
• Stop ridiculing him, it's not cool.
• The artist's unconventional style was met with ridicule at first, but eventually gained widespread acclaim.

noun a blend of the words 'Trump' and 'apocalypse', referring to a catastrophic or disastrous event or situation associated with the presidency of Donald Trump

• The term 'Trumpocalypse' is often used to describe the chaotic and divisive political climate during the Trump administration.
• People were really divided during the Trumpocalypse, with strong opinions on both sides.
• I can't believe we survived the Trumpocalypse, it was a wild ride.
• The Trumpocalypse felt like a storm of controversy and uncertainty that swept through the country.