as in hopeless
emphasizing or expecting the worst
your defeatist attitude is depressing everyone else on the team!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in realist
one who emphasizes bad aspects or conditions and expects the worst
we told her that if she was going to be such a defeatist, she should keep her thoughts to herself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defeatist
Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The prime minister’s far-right political allies, on the other hand, have accused the chief of staff of leading a weak and defeatist approach that is preventing victory over Hamas, the officials said.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeatist
Adjective
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But the situation is not hopeless.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
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Dealing with the horrors of the situation in Gaza within the sterile environment of a call center, its workers are feeling increasingly hopeless, caught in the political crossfire of an escalating situation.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ever the geopolitical realist, the Chinese president will know Modi’s presence at his banquet was opportunistic at best, and doesn’t indicate the start of a beautiful friendship.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
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Even John Mearsheimer, the leading realist voice on Ukraine, concedes these demands are non-negotiable—but deeply unacceptable to Kyiv and its allies.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Nicole Kidman adds just the right amount of menace as a villainous taxidermist, but the heart of the movie lies in its celebration of kindness, decency and family—values that feel refreshingly radical in our cynical times.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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And there is often an expectation of escapism in romance that precludes dealing realistically with money — or, for big media blockbusters, a cynical assumption that audiences won't enjoy a romcom which also takes the logistics of life seriously.—
Chelsea Fagan,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Put the kibosh on quiet cracking, those cynics insist.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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Travis Kelce knows what the cynics might think of his relationship with Taylor Swift — two of the most famous people in America just happen to match up perfectly?—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Initial assumptions reacting to the April surge in volatility in the financial markets were broadly pessimistic.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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But the national prognostications for Miami seem especially pessimistic after last season’s 8-9 record followed four consecutive winning seasons.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Optimists showed greater differences in neural patterns when thinking of positive events versus negative events, compared to pessimists.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 July 2025
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The researchers also found that optimistic people showed bigger differences between brain patterns for emotionally positive and negative events than pessimists did.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defeatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeatist. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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