pessimist

noun

pes·​si·​mist ˈpe-sə-mist 

 also  ˈpe-zə-

plural pessimists

: a person who is inclined to expect poor outcomes : someone who is given to pessimism

… such was the success of the first venture that many must now be optimistic where most were pessimists at the beginning of the year and for several years before.

—Francis Byrne

For pessimists, the heavens offer a host of doomsday scenarios—an asteroid crashing into Earth or deadly cosmic rays raining down on the planet.

—R. Cowen

Synonyms

• defeatist

Examples of pessimist in a Sentence

she's such a pessimist that she's convinced she'll fail every test

a true pessimist, he's convinced that there will be wars as long as there are people to wage them

Recent Examples on the Web

Challenging pessimists on their investments is somewhat of a cheap shot. —Bill Conerly, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024

As the stock market rose, the bond market fell As a New York Times writer noted the other day, stock investors are optimists, while bond investors are pessimists. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 11 Nov. 2024

And, hey, at least only 16 people were the ultimate pessimists. —Scott Powers, The Athletic, 21 Aug. 2024

Refuse to Magnify the Madness Optimists face the same storms as pessimists but emerge better off. —Margie Warrell, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

pessim(ism) + -ist entry 1, after French pessimiste

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above