naysayer

[ney-sey-er]

See more synonyms for naysayer on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who habitually expresses negative or pessimistic views: Despite a general feeling that things were going well, a few naysayers tried to cast gloom.

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Origin of naysayer

First recorded in 1715–25; nay + say¹ + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

cynic misanthrope complainer sourpuss killjoy downer defeatist gloomy

Examples from the Web for naysayer

Contemporary Examples

“I agree with the naysayers—in fact, I pretty much am a naysayer,” concludes Noller.
Dogecoin, Coinye, & Catcoin: A Dummy’s Guide to Cryptocurrencies
Charlotte Lytton
January 19, 2014
Nowinski admits that the league “went from being a naysayer to a powerful advocate” for the cause.
Steve James and Christopher Nowinski Talk the New Doc ‘Head Games’
Kevin Fallon
September 22, 2012

Word Origin and History for naysayer

n.

1721, from verb naysay (implied from 1530s in naysaying); from nay + say (v.). Nay-say "refusal" is from 1630s.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper