Synonyms of pessimist

pessimist

noun

ˈpe-sə-mist 

1

as in cynic

one who emphasizes bad aspects or conditions and expects the worst

she's such a pessimist that she's convinced she'll fail every test

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cynic
• realist
• defeatist
• Cassandra
• fatalist
• nihilist
• pragmatist
• Jeremiah
• naysayer
• worrier
• worrywart
• knocker
• hardnose
• anti-utopian

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• optimist
• Pollyanna
• idealist
• romantic
• dreamer
• Don Quixote
• romanticist
• visionary
• ideologue
• sentimentalist
• utopian
• fantast
• idealizer

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

• cynic
• misanthrope
• critic
• naysayer
• skeptic
• doubter
• misogynist
• scoffer
• detractor
• negativist
• defeatist
• misandrist
• derider
• quitter
• malcontent
• belittler

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• optimist
• idealist
• Pollyanna
• positivist
• sentimentalist

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pessimist

That is a hard thing to live with—but, the pessimist would answer, who thought life was supposed to be easy? — Literary Hub, 14 May 2026

The pessimists, or the anti-LeBron crowd, can say — accurately — that his numbers are declining. — Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026

As late as August 2007, the Federal Reserve was skeptical of such bubble talk, while Grantham was dismissed as a pessimist, a dismissal that soon proved mistaken. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026

Being an optimist or a pessimist is not enough. — Charlie Tyrell, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026