pessimism

noun

pes·​si·​mism ˈpe-sə-ˌmi-zəm How to pronounce pessimism (audio)
 also  ˈpe-zə-
1
: an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome
2
a
: the doctrine that reality is essentially evil
b
: the doctrine that evil overbalances happiness in life

Examples of pessimism in a Sentence

Although the economy shows signs of improving, a sense of pessimism remains.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Reflecting pessimism about the company’s prospects, Citi recently downgraded the stock to neutral. Joelle Diderich, WWD, 23 Oct. 2024 There was already pessimism about whether Robinson would win his race against Democratic nominee Josh Stein, who is leading 49.2% to Robinson’s 39.8%, according to RealClearPolitics’s polling average. Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Sep. 2024 In its claustrophobia and pessimism, Beck’s book itself can be read as an artifact. Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2024 The general pessimism is showing up in trade and other data. Chris Lau, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pessimism 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French pessimisme, from Latin pessimus "worst" + French -isme -ism, formed by analogy with optimisme optimism; Latin pessimus, probably going back to *pedisamos, derivative (with -isamos, superlative suffix, going back to Italic & Celtic *-ism̥mos) of *ped-, extracted from *ped-tu- "a fall, falling" (whence Latin pessum "to the bottom, to destruction"), verbal noun from an Indo-European base *ped- "step, fall," whence, with varying ablaut grades, Old English gefetan "to fall," Old Church Slavic padǫ, pasti, Sanskrit padyate "(s/he) falls, perishes"

Note: The Indo-European verbal base *ped- is generally taken to be a derivative of the noun *pōd-, ped- "foot"; see foot entry 1.

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pessimism was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near pessimism

Cite this Entry

“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pessimism. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pessimism

noun
pes·​si·​mism ˈpes-ə-ˌmiz-əm How to pronounce pessimism (audio)
1
: a tending to expect the worst possible outcome
2
: a belief that evil is more common than good in life
pessimist noun

Medical Definition

pessimism

noun
pes·​si·​mism
ˈpes-ə-ˌmiz-əm also ˈpez-
: an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome
pessimistic
ˌpes-ə-ˈmis-tik also ˌpez-
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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