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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of pessimist
The pessimists will see the phrasing as an insult.
—
Judith Martin, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
The pessimist would say the school can't win.
—CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
And in recent weeks, AI bubble pessimists have rallied around Michael Burry, the hedge-fund investor who made hundreds of millions of dollars betting against the housing market in 2008.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 23 Nov. 2025
That sensibility is countered by Dina’s, who plays the romantic foil to Liberty’s pessimist.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimist
Judith Martin, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
The pessimist would say the school can't win.
—CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
And in recent weeks, AI bubble pessimists have rallied around Michael Burry, the hedge-fund investor who made hundreds of millions of dollars betting against the housing market in 2008.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 23 Nov. 2025
That sensibility is countered by Dina’s, who plays the romantic foil to Liberty’s pessimist.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimist
Noun
-
And, though a lot of cynics will try to convince you otherwise, that’s perfectly OK.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Of course, cynics would say this is an easy way to get laughs, but Galifianakis’ quick wit ensures the unfiltered youngsters don’t always take center stage.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The signature in the upper left-hand corner confirmed the artist was the American realist Ernest Wells.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
24 May 2026
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At her core, Hepburn was a child of war who identified with Anne Frank—a realist who faced the problems of the world head-on as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.—
Hadley Hall Meares,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pessimist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimist. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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