pessimistic
Americanadjective
Synonym Usage
See cynical.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pessimistic
Explanation
Pessimistic describes the state of mind of someone who always expects the worst. A pessimistic attitude isn't very hopeful, shows little optimism, and can be a downer for everyone else. To be pessimistic means you believe evil outweighs the good and that bad things are more likely to happen. So pessimistic people are usually pretty negative. And kind of a bummer to be around. Think of Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh's perpetually gloomy friend. The word comes to us, not surprisingly, from the Latin pessimus — meaning "worst."
Vocabulary lists containing pessimistic
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The White House has become increasingly pessimistic in recent weeks about achieving a final nuclear settlement with Tehran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
UBS says its top theme right now is that leadership for artificial-intelligence stocks is returning, and earnings season may prove how investors have been too pessimistic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
As it marks two-and-a-half centuries of triumphs and tragedies, slavery and freedom, civil war and world wars, surveys show the nation is pessimistic about the chances of realizing the "American Dream."
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Investors are more pessimistic after their home country loses in the World Cup ’knockout’ round.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026
When I got home that afternoon, after eight months of searching New York, I was exhausted and frustrated and pessimistic, even though what I wanted to be was happy.
From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
