as in desperation
a feeling or belief that bad things will happen in the future; a feeling or belief that what you hope for will not happen
She has expressed pessimism over the outcome of the trial. Although the economy shows signs of improving, a sense of pessimism remains. He expressed his pessimism about politics and politicians.
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Recent Examples of pessimism
The journey into the darkness is not a journey into a useless reveling in pessimism.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025
Each inaccurate prediction should diminish these commentators’ credibility, and yet their incessant drumbeat of pessimism continues, lacking any context or fair and factual counter narrative.
—Joel Bines, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
Yet ethical pessimism remains committed to some future human existence, no matter what form that existence takes, no matter who that human is.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
The pessimism expressed on the Hotline over Oregon State at this point last season has shifted to the Cougars, who are rebuilding in the post-Jake Dickert era in much the same way the Beavers picked up the pieces following Jonathan Smith’s departure.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025
Each inaccurate prediction should diminish these commentators’ credibility, and yet their incessant drumbeat of pessimism continues, lacking any context or fair and factual counter narrative.
—Joel Bines, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
Yet ethical pessimism remains committed to some future human existence, no matter what form that existence takes, no matter who that human is.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
The pessimism expressed on the Hotline over Oregon State at this point last season has shifted to the Cougars, who are rebuilding in the post-Jake Dickert era in much the same way the Beavers picked up the pieces following Jonathan Smith’s departure.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimism
Noun
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Daniels also threw a desperation pick while simply trying to get rid of the ball, but the game’s outcome was decided by then.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Tatum does stretch his acting abilities in scenes where Jeffrey’s con-man charisma is underlaid with desperation and deception, but there’s nothing in Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn’s screenplay to seriously challenge Tatum’s persona as a leading man.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Julianne cited her sisters' accomplishments in their own fields, as well as their flourishing personal lives, as a reason why the sadness never flowered into full-on resentment.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Shock, anger, sadness, disbelief were words used by multiple senior sources inside the West Wing, ABC News' Katherine Faulders said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As France awaits its next prime minister, Bacharan says many people are in despair over the uncertainty this has brought on the country.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
9 Sep. 2025
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Mauricio says his wife didn’t give in to that despair and felt reassured by having a work permit.—
Gustavo Valdés,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel Hamnet imagined the relationship between the Bard and his spouse as an intimate tale of lust, compromise, joy, resentment, support, and sorrow.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
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Jolie nonetheless manages to bring some palpable life to the role, complicating her otherworldly magnetism with a dawning dread and sorrow.—
Richard Lawson,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The doom and gloom among consumers is likely related to the concerning trend of low hiring that is increasingly becoming apparent from revisions by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
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The mood in clean tech is far from doom and gloom.—
Anna Broughel,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In addition, people may experience anxiety or depression related to summer's end and the return to school and work routines, Prism Medical Products says.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Browns are a virus for seasonal depression.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But cynicism is exactly what unethical politicians count on.—
Matt Germer,
Oc Register,
7 Sep. 2025
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Throwing technology at problems without understanding how work gets done day-to-day is a surefire way to waste money and breed cynicism.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Lacy’s new music maintains his sly sense of humor, but with a barefaced melancholy that pushes it to new emotional depths.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
14 Aug. 2025
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More often than not, the film’s nostalgia is sweet and enjoyable because it is paired with the melancholy that comes from all the acknowledgments of the actors from the original who died over the last 29 years.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimism. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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