1
as in hopeless
emphasizing or expecting the worst
with that pessimistic attitude, it's no wonder you're depressed
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2
as in cynical
having or showing a deep distrust of human beings and their motives
pessimistic about the prospects for a lasting peace in the area
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Recent Examples of pessimistic
Dogs with pessimistic personalities are better than more optimistic dogs at detecting cancer.
—
Bruce Headlam, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The discovery report recorded that the top drawer of the desk contains the provisioner’s ledger and the captain’s expedition journal, but the Danish team who found the ship were pessimistic about the likelihood of the books surviving the tow.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
The Wine Country actress, who performed on SNL for seven seasons from 1999 to 2006, recalled the origins of her profusely pessimistic character during an interview with her former castmate Amy Poehler on Good Hang.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
Investors and ordinary Russians are increasingly pessimistic.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimistic
Bruce Headlam, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The discovery report recorded that the top drawer of the desk contains the provisioner’s ledger and the captain’s expedition journal, but the Danish team who found the ship were pessimistic about the likelihood of the books surviving the tow.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
The Wine Country actress, who performed on SNL for seven seasons from 1999 to 2006, recalled the origins of her profusely pessimistic character during an interview with her former castmate Amy Poehler on Good Hang.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
Investors and ordinary Russians are increasingly pessimistic.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimistic
Adjective
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All that’s left is some hopeless cringe, stunt guest stars and unfunny jokes.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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All that's left is some hopeless cringe, stunt guest stars and unfunny jokes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Talk of a solution—of two states, of a confederation, of nearly any prospect for a secure and free mode of coexistence—has long been dismissed as either an ingenuous assertion of faith or a cynical pantomime, an empty gesture toward a future no one expects to see.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
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As my colleague Charlie Warzel wrote in March, on X, the White House is now a troll account, borrowing its snide visual language and tone from some of the internet’s most cynical spaces and deploying this style to mock and dehumanize people.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The negative response to Beijing’s tactics also prompted the G7 to vow a united front against the export controls, Yardeni pointed out.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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If the bat is negative, individuals will not need post-exposure treatment.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pessimistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimistic. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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