PESSIMISM Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

pessimism

noun

Definition of pessimism

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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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.

Recent Examples of pessimism Curiosity will get you farther than optimism or pessimism alone. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026 Workers on this Labor Day feel a growing sense of dissatisfaction and pessimism. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026 What to do instead None of this is an argument for pessimism. — Jon Sabes, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026 The full story covers all 32 teams, with plenty of pessimism for the Falcons, Commanders and Browns. — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pessimism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimism

Noun

With four great games to choose from, and desperation from half of the teams, this is can’t-miss baseball.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
What readers are saying The comments express strong criticism of Senate Republicans' last-minute legislative efforts before the midterm elections, suggesting these actions are driven by desperation rather than genuine concern for the public.

— Theodoric Meyer, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of desperation

Noun

Beat shows how so many of the sounds that were prevalent in the mid-’90s contained a unique, end-of-the century sadness.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
People can experience grief, sadness, relief, conflict or combinations of these emotions after any pregnancy outcome.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadness

Noun

The tone creeps into despair as the scales fall from Sutskever’s eyes.

— E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
The cumulative effect of the bowl’s ambient violence (robbery, assault, and overdose abound) amounts to an open-air despair not unlike Fox News-style depictions of California as a wholesale war zone.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of despair

Noun

Because so many of Gunn’s friends died in San Francisco, a city where Gunn had found happiness and freedom, then these elegies are also a monument to a time of communal sorrow and mourning.

— Colm Tóibín, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Another decision that those who are rejected face, at least if anger is mixed in with sorrow, is where to direct that anger.

— George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

They are finally revealed as the head-lamps of a gang of thieves, robbing a church, caught closer up, their faces occasionally emerging from the gloom.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Inside, we were whisked away to a world of rain and candles and velvet and creepy houses and stormy, witchy gloom.

— Danielle Pergament, Allure, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of gloom

Noun

In April 2022, Wynonna and Ashley’s mother, Naomi Judd, died by suicide at 76 after a lifelong battle with depression.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
The drug has been associated in recent years with high-profile figures such as Elon Musk, who said it was prescribed to him to treat depression.

— Violet Jira, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of depression

Noun

Oliver believes that battle is a product of the cynicism that exists in society.

— Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
The 2010 film’s success is often attributed to the chocolate-and-peanut butter-like pairing of Sorkin’s earnest optimism and Fincher’s clinical cynicism.

— Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of cynicism

Noun

The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of melancholy

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pesky

pessimism

pessimist

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“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimism. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pessimism

noun

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