adjective

• Tending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen.

  ‘he was pessimistic about the prospects’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The most pessimistic observers believe everything is stacking up for a crash.’
  • ‘Civil War combat had hardened him to a pessimistic expectation of repeated failure.’
  • ‘A spokesman for the 13 workers involved in the dispute said they felt pessimistic about the prospect of a settlement.’
  • ‘Scriptures based on true revelations are never melancholy, pessimistic, or depressing.’
  • ‘Dixon also accused him of being unduly pessimistic about the prospects for renewable energy.’
  • ‘Challenge the reality of your pessimistic or negative thought.’
  • ‘One can only hope that such a gloomy view is unduly pessimistic.’
  • ‘In his last years, perhaps under the strain of illness, Lenin's writings took on a dark, pessimistic tone.’
  • ‘Pina is also pessimistic about the prospects for more accurate media coverage of Haiti.’
  • ‘It would be too painful and pessimistic not to hope and believe in you.’
  • ‘Contrary to what it might seem this is not a fatalistic or a pessimistic approach, but a realistic one.’
  • ‘The pessimistic and even the dark side of society should also be explored, or at least part of it.’
  • ‘Industry analysts are pessimistic about Ansett's prospects of raising the required capital.’
  • ‘This year, the most pessimistic forecasters expect another 180,000 jobs to go.’
  • ‘His films have become increasingly gloomy and pessimistic, even morbidly so.’
  • ‘Yet the prevalent mood at the end is not pessimistic or despairing but upbeat, in spite of the devastation.’
  • ‘Most are pessimistic that a sustainable deal will be reached and expect the dispute to escalate.’
  • ‘As she wanders, her thoughts become more and more pessimistic and she begins to reflect on life and grows depressed.’
  • ‘I don't like being pessimistic - I think that, generally, life is getting better for most people.’
  • ‘Pessimistic people are more likely to ignore a lucky situation when it presents itself.’

  Synonyms

  gloomy, negative, defeatist, downbeat, gloom-ridden, cynical, bleak, fatalistic, dark, black, despairing, despondent, depressed, dejected, demoralized, hopeless, melancholy, glum, lugubrious, suspicious, distrustful, doubting, alarmist

  View synonyms