pessimistic

[ pes-uh-mis-tik ]

/ ˌpɛs əˈmɪs tɪk /

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See synonyms for: pessimistic / pessimistically on Thesaurus.com

adjective

pertaining to or characterized by pessimism or the tendency to expect only bad outcomes; gloomy; joyless; unhopeful: His pessimistic outlook kept him from applying for jobs for which he was perfectly qualified.

OTHER WORDS FOR pessimistic

despairing, hopeless.

See synonyms for pessimistic on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of pessimistic

First recorded in 1865–70; pessimist + -ic

synonym study for pessimistic

See cynical.

OTHER WORDS FROM pessimistic

pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverbnon·pes·si·mis·tic, adjectivenon·pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverbo·ver·pes·si·mis·tic, adjective

o·ver·pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverbun·pes·si·mis·tic, adjectiveun·pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverb

How to use pessimistic in a sentence

Layne told lawmakers that the state’s economy has begun slowing again as the virus worsens but that he was cautiously optimistic that tax revenue could be about $685 million above earlier, more pessimistic forecasts.
Gov. Northam unveils Virginia budget plan with big spending on coronavirus as economy improves|Gregory S. Schneider|December 16, 2020|Washington Post
Even after a group of senators on Tuesday unveiled a bipartisan proposal for coronavirus stimulus, experts are pessimistic that Congress will come to an agreement before the holiday break on how to help Americans.
Are we at risk of a Christmas government shutdown?|Amber Phillips|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
“Before this one I was quite pessimistic regarding finding the sources,” Zhang says, “but with this one, I think this galactic FRB might be the clue.”
Astronomers have traced mysterious radio waves to a source in our own galaxy|Charlie Wood|November 4, 2020|Popular-Science
Experts and analysts in China and elsewhere share that pessimistic assessment.
China’s new five-year plan has an ambitious aim: to become a self-sufficient, global tech superpower|Grady McGregor|October 30, 2020|Fortune

It’s no surprise, then, that many Americans are pessimistic about whether the election will be free and fair.
Republicans Are Less Confident Than Democrats That The Election Will Be Conducted Fairly|Geoffrey Skelley (geoffrey.skelley@abc.com)|October 2, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
"I betche Andy just wanted a lay-off, and took that way uh getting it," declared Happy Jack pessimistically.
The Happy Family|Bertha Muzzy Bower
When she had gone, Bibbs mooned pessimistically from shelf to shelf, his eye wandering among the titles of the books.
The Turmoil|Booth Tarkington
They correctly—and pessimistically—assumed that their coming was only rare.
The Forgotten Planet|Murray Leinster
Isn't this play going to end pessimistically after all, then?
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 108, February 9, 1895|Various
Equally plain, I thought pessimistically, was the explanation.
The Firefly Of France|Marion Polk Angellotti