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

Research by Navigator, a left-leaning polling organization, found that younger Hispanic and Black men turned toward Trump over Harris, putting some of that blame on their pessimism towards President Joe Biden's handling of the economy. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

Chinese government has attempted to stem the bond rally, fueled by pessimism about its economy and a lack of attractive investment options. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Dec. 2024

As the Financial Times notes, weakening economic data and deflationary risks have pushed domestic investors toward haven assets like government bonds, reflecting broader economic pessimism. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Nov. 2024

Going west of the river Across the Connecticut River in Farmington, at the town’s new high school, voters on both sides of the political spectrum expressed pessimism about the election and whether its outcome would improve the country. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French pessimisme, from Latin pessimus "worst" + French -isme -ism, formed by analogy with optimisme optimism; Latin pessimus, probably going back to *pedisamos, derivative (with -isamos, superlative suffix, going back to Italic & Celtic *-ism̥mos) of *ped-, extracted from *ped-tu- "a fall, falling" (whence Latin pessum "to the bottom, to destruction"), verbal noun from an Indo-European base *ped- "step, fall," whence, with varying ablaut grades, Old English gefetan "to fall," Old Church Slavic padǫ, pasti, Sanskrit padyate "(s/he) falls, perishes"

Note: The Indo-European verbal base *ped- is generally taken to be a derivative of the noun *pōd-, ped- "foot"; see foot entry 1.

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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

pessimist

-məst 

noun

Medical Definition

pessimism

noun

pes·​si·​mism

ˈpes-ə-ˌmiz-əm also ˈpez-

: an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome

pessimistic

ˌpes-ə-ˈmis-tik also ˌpez-

adjective