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
Freud's pessimism is exacerbated not only by the imminent world war, but also by painful and disfiguring oral cancer.
—
Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
There seems to be a lot of pessimism about Generation Z and their readiness to lead our country, when the time comes.
—Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
There was some pessimism in the air.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Those running the bulk of today's small businesses are navigating an economy that is presenting reasons for pessimism.
—Eric Johnson, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
There seems to be a lot of pessimism about Generation Z and their readiness to lead our country, when the time comes.
—Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
There was some pessimism in the air.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Those running the bulk of today's small businesses are navigating an economy that is presenting reasons for pessimism.
—Eric Johnson, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimism
Noun
-
India lost its review in desperation to get Wolvaardt dismissed, and then gambled with Verma’s gentle off-breakers.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Under this scenario, irregular migration continues, driven by desperation abroad and labor demand at home.—
Jonathan Portes,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Followers and fans of Tika online expressed their sadness in the comment section.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
And in the last days of August, laughter and pot would waft over the scene, happiness laced with sadness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The marvel of this verse is in its vulnerability in expressing sorrow, lost love and despair—under the seams runs the pain.—
Amber McBride,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The resulting social ills of crime, disease, and despair were blamed not on the systems that produced them, but on the people who bore their weight.—
Fahad Zuberi,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The marvel of this verse is in its vulnerability in expressing sorrow, lost love and despair—under the seams runs the pain.—
Amber McBride,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Among the recurrent themes are suicide, mysteriously intractable sorrow, and failed attempts at familial and romantic connection.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Slot must decide whether to keep faith with the same line up which helped lift the gloom with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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In the season four premiere of Mayor of Kingstown, co-creators/writers Hugh Dillon and Taylor Sheridan waste no time smacking viewers with a sense of doom and gloom.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In adults, physical activity helps to prevent and manage health problems like cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety—while also enhancing brain health and overall wellbeing—according to the World Health Organization.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Specifically, the study found that the teens and young adults required medical care for common mental disorders like anxiety and depression, a physical health condition, injuries and poisoning, and other physical diseases.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Crucially, the tragedies of the film don’t come from a sense of the filmmaker’s cynicism, but from compassion.—
Kambole Campbell,
IndieWire,
3 Nov. 2025
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The unironically chipper clown couldn’t sustain its sanitized image against a growing culture of cynicism.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Coppola and production designer Ziering will explore their creative partnership, the aesthetic and emotional storytelling that defines Coppola’s visual universe — from the suburban melancholy of Palo Alto to the luminous complexity of The Last Showgirl.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
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Full of dread and melancholy, the Austrian import flips the creepy-kid script a bit by centering on two boys (Elias and Lukas Schwarz) who wonder whether their mom (Susanne Wuest), whose head is wrapped in bandages after facial surgery, is actually their mom. 38.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimism. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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