as in desperation
a feeling or belief that bad things will happen in the future; a feeling or belief that what you hope for will not happen
She has expressed pessimism over the outcome of the trial. Although the economy shows signs of improving, a sense of pessimism remains. He expressed his pessimism about politics and politicians.
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Recent Examples of pessimism
Brazilians are usually bullish when the World Cup rolls around, but this time, there is an overriding sense of pessimism.
—
The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 11 June 2025
Consumers’ economic outlooks have improved in recent weeks, but pessimism runs deep amid ongoing trade war uncertainty.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 4 June 2025
But pessimism about Ukraine’s capabilities is ahistorical and wrongheaded.
—Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 2 June 2025
The economic upheaval over the past five years is a major reason for the pessimism many feel today.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 11 June 2025
Consumers’ economic outlooks have improved in recent weeks, but pessimism runs deep amid ongoing trade war uncertainty.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 4 June 2025
But pessimism about Ukraine’s capabilities is ahistorical and wrongheaded.
—Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 2 June 2025
The economic upheaval over the past five years is a major reason for the pessimism many feel today.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimism
Noun
-
Remove every trace of desperation from your online presence.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
Out of desperation, Red Bull chose to swap Liam Lawson and Tsunoda following two underwhelming races by Lawson.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
So many of the adults who held our communities together have been lost to mass incarceration, to addictions—diseases of despair—as drugs have replaced jobs and hope in our neighborhoods, often turning them into war zones.—
Asha Bandele,
Essence,
25 June 2025
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The best dystopian films are the most plausible ones, and Children Of Men feels all too real, from the political factions to the way humanity both descends into despair and miraculously comes together to help those who need it most.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
Noun
-
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett also condemned the shooting and expressed his sorrow for the parents of the victims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 July 2025
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We are filled with unbearable sorrow and despair at our loss.—
Aaron Valdez,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
And creator Sarah Williams does a remarkable job transitioning from early storylines about a big, warm, eccentric family to later episodes that weigh Diana and Unity’s monstrous choices without succumbing to doom and gloom.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 June 2025
-
There was just one happy ending amidst all this doom and gloom, as Sae-byeok (Hoyeon) got her wish from beyond the grave.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Composting locations don’t need to be perfectly level, but selecting a spot that doesn’t have any significant inclines or depressions makes compost piles much easier to manage.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 June 2025
-
However, the series main character, Mi-ji, has been able to move past the depression that kept her from chasing her ambitions for years.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Liam Twomey: There has been a lot of understandable cynicism and some less justifiable snootiness about this competition from some quarters, but the fundamental reality of football is that if the players take it seriously, everyone else will.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
In the long run, however, the truth emerges, and opacity and deception merely undermine trust and amplify cynicism in the political system.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Labor Day is suffused with a certain melancholy at the end of summer and children are already back in school.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2025
-
That betrayal, like so many others, fed the melancholy in Brian's music.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimism. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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