defeatist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of defeatistnext
as in hopeless
emphasizing or expecting the worst your defeatist attitude is depressing everyone else on the team!

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

defeatist

2 of 2

noun

as in realist
one who emphasizes bad aspects or conditions and expects the worst we told her that if she was going to be such a defeatist, she should keep her thoughts to herself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeatist
  1. hopeless
  2. realist
  3. cynical
  4. cynic
  5. pessimistic
  6. pessimist
Adjective
  • By that point, most American passengers had reached a point of hopeless exhaustion.
    Opheli Garcia Lawlor, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Eugene is able to carry on after his romance with Lee, while Lee is confined to a life of falling into the same miserable cycles of loneliness and addiction, a feeling manifested by the snake shedding a hopeless tear.
    Barry Levitt, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of hopeless
Noun
  • Trump’s campaign rhetoric painted the world in apocalyptic terms, portraying himself and his team as hard-nosed realists who understood the danger.
    Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
  • If contemporary art is your thing, don’t miss Blue Spiral 1 for local art like Reuben Negrón’s realist drawings and narrative watercolors.
    Jenn Rice, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2024
Definition of realist
Adjective
  • While few constituencies have been spared recrimination, some of the most cynical and pernicious scapegoating has been reserved for the transgender community.
    Anthony D. Romero, Twin Cities, 6 Dec. 2024
  • Bezos said he’s had a lot of success in life not being cynical.
    Brooke Seipel, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of cynical
Noun
  • However, the changes might not be enough to satiate all cynics—while efforts have been made to attract a broader audience—luxury remains a cornerstone of the event.
    Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Anyone below Soler would have annoyed the cynics just as much as Canha.
    Grant Brisbee, The Athletic, 31 July 2024
Definition of cynic
Adjective
  • Notably, Democrats are particularly pessimistic about the future of their own party, while Republicans are riding high.
    Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024
  • That tracks with longstanding findings that the generation is pessimistic about the right now but upbeat about the future.
    Ben Berkowitz, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024
Definition of pessimistic
Noun
  • 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
Definition of pessimist
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near defeatist

defeatism

defeatist

defeatists

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Cite this Entry

“Defeatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeatist. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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