as in pessimism
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Recent Examples of defeatism
The defeatism that has come to define the way that many young people today perceive the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis is not really part of her vocabulary.
—
Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
The title is the central theme, brilliantly and often shockingly rendered via a series of lightly connected stories that mine the depths of defeatism, nihilism, and alienation.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2024
The defeatism that has come to define the way that many young people today perceive the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis is not really part of her vocabulary.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
Some climate scientists prefer to call it climate defeatism instead, and others have called doom the new climate denial because of how disempowering its black-and-white logic is: There is nothing to be done to stop climate collapse, so why bother trying?
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for defeatism
Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
The title is the central theme, brilliantly and often shockingly rendered via a series of lightly connected stories that mine the depths of defeatism, nihilism, and alienation.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2024
The defeatism that has come to define the way that many young people today perceive the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis is not really part of her vocabulary.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
Some climate scientists prefer to call it climate defeatism instead, and others have called doom the new climate denial because of how disempowering its black-and-white logic is: There is nothing to be done to stop climate collapse, so why bother trying?
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for defeatism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeatism
Noun
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Consumers’ economic outlooks have improved in recent weeks, but pessimism runs deep amid ongoing trade war uncertainty.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
4 June 2025
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But pessimism about Ukraine’s capabilities is ahistorical and wrongheaded.—
Phillips Payson O’Brien,
The Atlantic,
2 June 2025
Noun
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Thomas Mazzucco, Corpus’ lead counsel, has also challenged the impartiality of the process, arguing that Supervisors Ray Mueller and Noelia Corzo — who have publicly called for Corpus’ resignation — should have recused themselves.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
20 June 2025
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Johnson’s appointment follows former President Robinson’s resignation in July 2024, amid fallout from a scandal involving a bogus $237 million donation pledge.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defeatism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeatism. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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