1
as in hopeless
emphasizing or expecting the worst
with that pessimistic attitude, it's no wonder you're depressed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cynical
having or showing a deep distrust of human beings and their motives
pessimistic about the prospects for a lasting peace in the area
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of pessimistic
Even in the happiest countries, people often remain pessimistic about the kindness displayed within their communities.
—
Juliette Han, Phd, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Skittish consumers Small businesses are coping with the tariffs just as Americans are growing more pessimistic about the economy, with consumer confidence slumping to a 12-year low last month.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025
Also, recent sentiment surveys have shown households are more pessimistic about their job prospects and financial situations due to tariffs.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
What causes bear markets? Bear markets tend to happen when investors are feeling particularly pessimistic about the future of the economy.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimistic
Juliette Han, Phd, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Skittish consumers Small businesses are coping with the tariffs just as Americans are growing more pessimistic about the economy, with consumer confidence slumping to a 12-year low last month.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025
Also, recent sentiment surveys have shown households are more pessimistic about their job prospects and financial situations due to tariffs.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
What causes bear markets? Bear markets tend to happen when investors are feeling particularly pessimistic about the future of the economy.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimistic
Adjective
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Feeling hopeless in her quest to stop Crawford and help Delia get her life back, Elsbeth confronts the boastful judge, who is riding high on his rising star and his triumph over her.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
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Chelsea Smith thought that celebrities, feeling empty and hopeless even with all their success, could benefit from the Gospel.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Lee’s cynical cardsharp of a brother, Julius (Jacob Elordi), was meant to be part of that dream move, but the call of gambling takes Julius to Las Vegas instead.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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Now, posters are more cynical and there’s a fatalist bent to the conversations that wasn’t there before.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Vermont shows just 25 percent approval and 75 percent disapproval—the most negative margin in the country.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
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The financial services firm JPMorgan now forecasts negative U.S. growth in the second half of 2025, while projecting that China’s official growth will slip to 4.6 percent.—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pessimistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimistic. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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