pessimistic

pes·si·mis·tic

adjective \ˌpe-sə-ˈmis-tik also ˌpe-zə-\

Definition of PESSIMISTIC

: of, relating to, or characterized by pessimism : gloomy

— pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of PESSIMISTIC

1. Most doctors were pessimistic that a cure could be found.
2. The film gives a very pessimistic view of human nature.
3. He has an extremely negative and pessimistic attitude.

First Known Use of PESSIMISTIC

1868

Related to PESSIMISTIC

Synonyms

bearish, defeatist, despairing, downbeat, hopeless

Antonyms

hopeful, optimistic, Panglossian, Pollyanna, Pollyannaish (also Polyannish), rose-colored, rosy, upbeat

Related Words

cynical, fatalistic, nihilist, nihilistic; desperate, discouraging, disheartening, inauspicious, unlikely, unpromising; bleak, cheerless, comfortless, depressing, desolate, dismal, dreary, funereal, gloomy, morose, saturnine, sepulchral, somber (or sombre), sullen; grim; contrary, hostile, negative

Near Antonyms

auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, likely, promising, propitious; cheering, comforting, reassuring; favorable, good, positive; idealist, romantic, utopian, visionary; cheerful, cheery, chipper, sunny

See Synonym Discussion at cynical

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

Rhymes with PESSIMISTIC

activistic, agonistic, albinistic, alchemistic, amoristic, animistic, annalistic, aphoristic, archaistic, atavistic, atheistic, atomistic, belletristic, Calvinistic, casuistic, catechistic, centralistic, chauvinistic, classicistic, coloristic, communistic, crosslinguistic, dadaistic, diaristic, dualistic, dyslogistic, egoistic, essayistic, eucharistic, eulogistic, euphemistic, euphuistic, exorcistic, familistic, fatalistic, feministic, feudalistic, fideistic, folkloristic, formalistic, futuristic, gongoristic, haggadistic, Hebraistic, hedonistic, Hellenistic, humanistic, humoristic, idealistic, imagistic, inartistic, Jansenistic, jargonistic, jingoistic, journalistic, Judaistic, kabbalistic, Lamaistic, legalistic, manneristic, masochistic, mechanistic, melanistic, mentalistic, methodistic, modernistic, moralistic, narcissistic, nationalistic, nativistic, nepotistic, nihilistic, novelistic, onanistic, optimistic, pantheistic, parodistic, pianistic, pietistic, Platonistic, pluralistic, pointillistic, populistic, pragmatistic, pugilistic, quietistic, realistic, sciolistic, shamanistic, socialistic, solecistic, solipsistic, syllogistic, symbolistic, synchronistic, syncretistic, synergistic, terroristic, totalistic, totemistic, ultraistic, unrealistic, urbanistic, utopistic, vandalistic, verbalistic, vitalistic, voodooistic, voyeuristic, Zionistic