pessimistically

adverb

Definition of pessimisticallynext
as in gloomily

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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 pessimistically The Vietnam War and Watergate had spawned a paralyzing sense of national distrust, and New Hollywood had reflected that reality beautifully but pessimistically. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 May 2026 For example, professors Morana Koludrovic and Franceska Delija at the University of Split in Croatia also make the point, more pessimistically, however, that the young can no longer learn from the old, not with all the changes in technology and media. — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2026 Look pessimistically, and perhaps the inexperience is too much of a barrier. — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimistically
  1. gloomily
  2. glumly
  3. darkly
  4. somberly
  5. dismally
  6. miserably
  7. sullenly
  8. blackly
Adverb
  • Museums abhor windows, so the building has all the approachability of a medieval keep, as gloomily defensive as the park is welcoming.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 June 2026
  • In Time Regained, the concluding volume of Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, an older version of the narrator gloomily decides to attend a gathering at the Guermantes’ mansion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of gloomily
Adverb
  • If exceeding delivery targets fails to spark a rally, meeting or slightly beating bottom-line earnings will likely be greeted glumly by Wall Street.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 20 July 2026
  • Three of the four arrived soberly dressed, one of them, Hodgkin, in a black suit, folded his arms and stared glumly ahead.
    — Robin Muir, Vogue, 12 June 2026
Definition of glumly
Adverb
  • The two outlets have greenlit 1536, a darkly comedic drama from writer and showrunner Ava Pickett (The Great, How to Get to Heaven From Belfast).
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The show explores the darkly absurd side of modern-day male friendship.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of darkly
Adverb
  • James Hoffa, his sister Barbara, their adult children and grandchildren somberly mark this day with each passing year.
    — Eric Shawn, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • Nantz somberly delivered the emotional news while taking several breaks to compose himself.
    — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
Definition of somberly
Adverb
  • But for now, the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer remains at a dismally low 13%, according to the American Cancer Society.
    — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 12 May 2026
  • The assets performed dismally in March but rebounded in April.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 8 May 2026
Definition of dismally
Adverb
  • After Carlson officially flamed out, Brayden Narveson failed miserably.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • That day helped solidify my decision to keep pushing forward after failing so miserably.
    — Kristine Fischer, Outdoor Life, 16 July 2026
Definition of miserably
Adverb
  • Take, for example, Keanu Reeves, who was memeified after a photo of the actor sullenly eating a sandwich went viral.
    — Ben Pettis, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Like a fisherman left empty-handed after a heavy pull at her line, the woman sullenly took Sam’s picture.
    — Nora DeLigter, Curbed, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of sullenly
Adverb
  • What at first appears to be a run-of-the-mill trauma drama about a family dealing with the eldest child’s anorexia nervosa gradually evolves into something odder and more original, even blackly comic, in Ungrateful Beings.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Saadawi’s unabashedly political, blackly funny contemporary take on the mythos (superb translated by Jonathan Wright, who captures the wry humor and brooding, ominous rhythms of Saadawi’s dark tale) is, however, a true standout in a very crowded field.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2024
Definition of blackly

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Cite this Entry

“Pessimistically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimistically. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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