Nihilism Is Closer To Idealism Than Cynicism

The idealists constructs an alternate reality, a reality of ideas. As the idealist focuses more and more on how reality ought to be, the idealist becomes less and less concerned with how reality is. 

The utopian views of the idealist may be more compelling than the dystopian views of the cynic, but dystopian views are at least focused on this world, whereas utopian views are, by definition, focused on a world that does not exist. 

It is for this reason that to use other-worldly idealism to refute this-worldly cynicism is to engage in nihilism.