pessimist

noun

pes·​si·​mist ˈpe-sə-mist 

 also  ˈpe-zə-

plural pessimists

: a person who is inclined to expect poor outcomes : someone who is given to pessimism

… such was the success of the first venture that many must now be optimistic where most were pessimists at the beginning of the year and for several years before.

—Francis Byrne

For pessimists, the heavens offer a host of doomsday scenarios—an asteroid crashing into Earth or deadly cosmic rays raining down on the planet.

—R. Cowen

Synonyms

• defeatist

Examples of pessimist in a Sentence

she's such a pessimist that she's convinced she'll fail every test

a true pessimist, he's convinced that there will be wars as long as there are people to wage them

Recent Examples on the Web

For more than 200 years, pessimists have warned that a rapidly increasing population would bring civilizational doom. —Editorial Board, Washington Post, 8 July 2024

But a few pessimists maintain that the premise of the question itself is wrong. —Mikhail Zygar, Foreign Affairs, 28 June 2024

Concerns are growing over what this automation movement will mean for the labor market, and pessimists can point to several examples to show why. —Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 19 June 2024

Bruni said in a recent appearance that America has gone from being a nation of optimists to one of pessimists. —Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

pessim(ism) + -ist entry 1, after French pessimiste

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above