pessimistic

UK: /ˌpɛsɪˈmɪstɪk/ US: (pes′ə mis′tik)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pes•si•mis•tic  (pes′ə mis′tik), adj. 

1. pertaining to or characterized by pessimism;
   gloomy:
   a pessimistic outlook.

• pessimist + -ic 1865–70

pes′si•mis′ti•cal•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

despairing, hopeless. See cynical. 

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

pes•si•mism /ˈpɛsəˌmɪzəm/   n. [uncountable]

1. the tendency to see only what is gloomy, or to expect the worst possible outcome.

pes•si•mist, n. 

[countable] The pessimist sees a glass of water that is filled halfway and considers the glass to be half-empty; the optimist sees the same glass and thinks of it as half-full.

pes•si•mis•tic, adj. 
pes•si•mis•ti•cal•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pes•si•mism  (pes′ə miz′əm), n. 

1. the tendency to see, anticipate, or emphasize only bad or undesirable outcomes, results, conditions, problems, etc.:
   His pessimism about the future of our country depresses me.
2. the doctrine that the existing world is the worst of all possible worlds, or that all things naturally tend to evil.
3. the belief that the evil and pain in the world are not compensated for by goodness and happiness.

• Latin pessim(us), suppletive superlative of malus bad + -ism; modeled on optimism
• 1785–95