pessimism

noun

Definition of pessimismnext
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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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 The supply of oil is more constrained than ever, but its price is nowhere near peak pessimism. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 July 2026 Economists warn that higher prices on recreational activities — whether in or out of the home — can further intensify the average Joe's economic pessimism. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 11 July 2026 Americans are deeply divided and intensely polarized, with pessimism at or near a multidecade high. — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026 Allan Bailey, 83, a Republican who also served in Vietnam and later owned a motel, voiced similar pessimism. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimism
  1. desperation
  2. sadness
  3. despair
  4. sorrow
  5. gloom
  6. depression
  7. cynicism
  8. melancholy
Noun
  • Lama, 28 years old, softspoken and shy, walks quietly among them, equal parts desperation and dread.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • The heaps of body horror and gritty special effects definitely helped, on top of a breakout performance from Sharlto Copley who conveyed a palpable sense of desperation.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 23 July 2026
Definition of desperation
Noun
  • Out of sadness, but also out of hope and beauty and the belief that what was missing might eventually be found.
    — Thao Thai, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
  • Corey Ruiz's mother, daughter, partner and siblings joined attorney Ben Crump, expressing their sadness and frustration about his death.
    — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 24 July 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • The difference is that Christian Name was formed through the prism of grief, despair, and eventually redemption.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026
  • Keegan had only resigned from Newcastle in January, leaving Tyneside in a state of despair.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of despair
Noun
  • The only other person in the 21st century who might’ve had as uncanny an ability to look beneath the sordidness and sorrow of red carpets and walks of fame to find truth and even poetry might be David Lynch.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 July 2026
  • Commenters flooded Aquino’s social media accounts with support, expressing their sorrow at the news of her death.
    — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • One way out of the doom and gloom would be for Winnipeg to announce the aforementioned Hellebuyck appeasement.
    — Murat Ates, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • That is to say, it was preceded by soothsayings of unparalleled gloom, which faded at the first kick of a ball.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of gloom
Noun
  • Yet, despite the dwindling popularity of both alcohol and cigarettes, various cancers, not to mention other serious conditions like diabetes and depression, have all been on the rise—again, especially in young people.
    — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 23 July 2026
  • The stress that police officers experience is associated with higher rates of divorce, alcohol abuse, heart disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
    — Meg Anderson, NPR, 23 July 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • Their cynicism is still there, but it’s carried by brighter melodies and a willingness to let the music speak as loudly as the message.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
  • But key voters in Pennsylvania have mixed views on whether this is a big deal or not, indicating a level of cynicism about many in the political class.
    — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 16 July 2026
Definition of cynicism
Noun
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of melancholy

Browse Nearby Words

pesky
pessimism
pessimist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimism. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pessimism

Nglish: Translation of pessimism for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pessimism

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inveigle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All