pessimist

1
2
as in misanthrope
a person who distrusts other people and believes that everything is done for selfish reasons a true pessimist, he's convinced that there will be wars as long as there are people to wage them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 pessimist In another survey, optimists were 40% more likely to get promoted over the next year, six times more likely to be highly engaged at work and five times less likely to burn out than pessimists. Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025 Major Intermediate Buy Signal Still Intact The AAII Bull-Bear Spread residing at minus 40.1 continues to reflect a percentage of pessimists trouncing the optimists by a factor of 3, with recent readings some of the most Bearish in history, given that Main Street is usually Bullish. John Buckingham, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 In another survey, optimists were 40% more likely to get promoted over the next year, six times more likely to be highly engaged at work and five times less likely to burn out than pessimists. Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025 The power basketball conferences have dominated, and because power means football, and football means money, specifically more NIL money to use as tokens for players to use the NCAA transfer portal, pessimists see the mid-majors such as San Diego State on life support. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pessimist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimist
Noun
  • But, to the cynics, it could be twisted as a sign that Åberg isn’t wired like the great competitors in sports.
    Brody Miller, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Similarly to her dad, Abby tries to bring order to her crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), a character from the original series.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • Prioritization is a realist strategy, and what keeps realists up at night is the threat of a rival great power controlling an economically vital part of the world.
    JENNIFER LIND, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
  • Here, Malaysia’s efforts revealed the bind of ethical leadership in a realist system.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pessimist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimist. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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