pessimistic

pes·si·mis·tic

adj \ˌpe-sə-ˈmis-tik also ˌpe-zə-\

Definition of PESSIMISTIC

: of, relating to, or characterized by pessimism : gloomy

— pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of PESSIMISTIC

1. Most doctors were pessimistic that a cure could be found.
2. The film gives a very pessimistic view of human nature.
3. He has an extremely negative and pessimistic attitude.

First Known Use of PESSIMISTIC

1868

Related to PESSIMISTIC

Synonyms: bearish, defeatist, despairing, downbeat, hopeless

Antonyms: hopeful, optimistic, Panglossian, Pollyanna, Pollyannaish (also Polyannish), rose-colored, rosy, upbeat

Related Words: cynical, fatalistic, nihilist, nihilistic; desperate, discouraging, disheartening, inauspicious, unlikely, unpromising; bleak, cheerless, comfortless, depressing, desolate, dismal, dreary, funereal, gloomy, morose, saturnine, sepulchral, somber (or sombre), sullen; grim; contrary, hostile, negative

Near Antonyms: auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, likely, promising, propitious; cheering, comforting, reassuring; favorable, good, positive; idealist, romantic, utopian, visionary; cheerful, cheery, chipper, sunny

see all synonyms and antonyms

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See Synonym Discussion at cynical

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

Rhymes with PESSIMISTIC

activistic, agonistic, albinistic, alchemistic, amoristic, animistic, annalistic, aphoristic, archaistic, atavistic, atheistic, atomistic, belletristic, Calvinistic, casuistic, catechistic, centralistic, chauvinistic, classicistic, coloristic, communistic, crosslinguistic, dadaistic, diaristic, dualistic, dyslogistic, egoistic, essayistic, eucharistic, eulogistic, euphemistic, euphuistic, exorcistic, familistic, fatalistic, feministic, feudalistic, fideistic, folkloristic, formalistic, futuristic, gongoristic, haggadistic, Hebraistic, hedonistic, Hellenistic, humanistic, humoristic, idealistic, imagistic, inartistic, Jansenistic, jargonistic, jingoistic, journalistic, Judaistic, kabbalistic, Lamaistic, legalistic, manneristic, masochistic, mechanistic, melanistic, mentalistic, methodistic, modernistic, moralistic, narcissistic, nationalistic, nativistic, nepotistic, nihilistic, novelistic, onanistic, optimistic, pantheistic, parodistic, pianistic, pietistic, Platonistic, pluralistic, pointillistic, populistic, pragmatistic, pugilistic, quietistic, realistic, sciolistic, shamanistic, socialistic, solecistic, solipsistic, syllogistic, symbolistic, synchronistic, syncretistic, synergistic, terroristic, totalistic, totemistic, ultraistic, unrealistic, urbanistic, utopistic, vandalistic, verbalistic, vitalistic, voodooistic, voyeuristic, Zionistic