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
Surveys charting consumer confidence continue to register declines, revealing widespread pessimism among households about their financial outlook and the economy as a whole.
—
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimism
Noun
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In desperation, Ben calls their older sister Hannah (Alexandra Daddario), despite scant contact since she got thrown out of the family home years prior.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Two goals down with 30 minutes left, Charlotte pushed forward with desperation but lacked precision.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Followers and fans of Tika online expressed their sadness in the comment section.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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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
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Every adrenaline rush comes with a chaser of low rage and simmering despair.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
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His face could collapse in shame, his jaw sliding sideways; neither Goya nor Ensor painted despair more vividly.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And that's appropriate; coziness and sorrow are not mutually exclusive.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
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Teams and players in the sport expressed sorrow about the news.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
7 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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And on a more basic level, gardening activities also serve to reduce anxiety, aggression and depression, and to increase cognitive function.—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
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Feeling tired is not a typical sign of high blood pressure and is more often linked to other issues like poor sleep, depression, or low blood pressure.—
Alexandria Nyembwe,
Health,
7 Nov. 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 15 Nov. 2025.
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