pessimism
noun
pes·si·mism
ˈpe-sə-ˌmi-zəm 
also ˈpe-zə-
1
: an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome
2
a
: the doctrine that reality is essentially evil
b
: the doctrine that evil overbalances happiness in life
Examples of pessimism in a Sentence
Although the economy shows signs of improving, a sense of pessimism remains.
Recent Examples on the Web
And yet, amid all the pessimism, one tiny group of humans has become extraordinarily valuable: Those creating AI.
—
Verne Kopytoff, Fortune, 4 July 2025
Like the exceptionalism question, pollsters ask about optimism in different ways, and in most of them, including a new poll from Quinnipiac released last week, optimism beats pessimism.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
He’s also invested his protagonist with a self-deprecating sense of humor that keeps his pessimism from veering into maudlin territory.
—Book Marks
june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025
And then pessimism, uh, is actually really interesting to frame it as a self-soothing mechanism.
—Outside Online, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
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Verne Kopytoff, Fortune, 4 July 2025
Like the exceptionalism question, pollsters ask about optimism in different ways, and in most of them, including a new poll from Quinnipiac released last week, optimism beats pessimism.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
He’s also invested his protagonist with a self-deprecating sense of humor that keeps his pessimism from veering into maudlin territory.
—Book Marks
june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025
And then pessimism, uh, is actually really interesting to frame it as a self-soothing mechanism.
—Outside Online, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Cite this Entry
“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pessimism. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pessimism
noun
pes·si·mism
ˈpes-ə-ˌmiz-əm
1
: a tending to expect the worst possible outcome
2
: a belief that evil is more common than good in life
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