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

Optimists tend to live longer and have healthier lives than pessimists according to numerous research studies. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

Those eight additions will remedy last season’s injury woes, but for pessimists, the jury is out as to whether Villa’s best XI has actually been upgraded. —Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 7 Aug. 2024

That downward trend has made pessimists out of the class of 2025. —Christine Y. Cruzvergara, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

Van der Lugt thinks the pessimist’s is more motivating and sees a danger in the optimist’s, because if things look so generally bright, why should anyone get off the couch? —Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above