negativist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of negativistnext
as in negativistic

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negativist

2 of 2

noun

as in naysayer

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for negativist
  1. cynical
  2. naysayer
  3. skeptical
  4. pessimist
  5. misanthropic
  6. fatalist
  7. pessimistic
  8. defeatist
Adjective
  • Swarup’s book exposes the cynical nature of the quiz show, dangling a literal lifeline to desperate people for the sake of entertainment.
    — L.M. Chilton, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Myriad people inside Warner Bros are cynical about the capping of severances and the fact that only a few at the top are bound for a post-merger windfall.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of cynical
Noun
  • Neither song has stopped naysayers from characterizing Anthrax as left-wing.
    — Jon Wiederhorn, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The hiding of it is what allowed naysayers to get way more people killed.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of naysayer
Adjective
  • The conservative-majority Supreme Court has been skeptical of environmental regulations in the past, including in a 2022 decision limiting the EPA's authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And while The Atlantic has published largely skeptical coverage of major AI companies and their products’ impact on society, Thompson’s tone, in his podcasts and LinkedIn posts, has been more optimistic.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of skeptical
Noun
  • Being the unintentional voice of political pessimism can make a person something of a pessimist.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • My favourite part of this exercise is seeing the distribution of optimists and pessimists.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of pessimist
Adjective
  • Known for creating everyone’s favorite psychopath Tom Ripley, Highsmith – played by Helen Mirren – became a controversial figure because of her antisemitic and misanthropic statements.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The prospect of Helen Mirren playing the legendary author Patricia Highsmith at her most unpredictably misanthropic should be enough of a selling point for A Talent for Murder.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of misanthropic
Noun
  • But the fatalist in me feels like this stuff is coming.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
Definition of fatalist
Adjective
  • In IconArrows pointing outwards While Berkshire is making a bet that Lennar will benefit from a long-term recovery in the nation's troubled housing market, Morgan Stanley is pessimistic about the stock's more immediate future.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Despite Senate Majority Leader John Thune's two-day campaign and fundraising trip to Georgia this month, some local party leaders were publicly pessimistic.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of pessimistic
Noun
  • Paige is energetic, determined, and inquisitive where Kevin is defeatist, sad, and zhlubby.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Frank was trying to set realistic expectations for the season, but made comments that were interpreted as defeatist.
    — Jay Harris, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Definition of defeatist
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

negativing
negativist
negativistic
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Cite this Entry

“Negativist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negativist. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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