Synonyms of pessimist

pessimist

noun

ˈpe-sə-mist 

1

as in cynic

one who emphasizes bad aspects or conditions and expects the worst

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cynic
• realist
• defeatist
• Cassandra
• fatalist
• nihilist
• pragmatist
• Jeremiah
• naysayer
• worrier
• worrywart
• knocker
• hardnose
• anti-utopian

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• optimist
• Pollyanna
• idealist
• romantic
• dreamer
• Don Quixote
• romanticist
• visionary
• ideologue
• sentimentalist
• idealogue
• utopian
• fantast
• idealizer

2

as in misanthrope

a person who distrusts other people and believes that everything is done for selfish reasons

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cynic
• misanthrope
• critic
• naysayer
• skeptic
• doubter
• misogynist
• scoffer
• detractor
• negativist
• defeatist
• misandrist
• derider
• quitter
• malcontent
• belittler

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• optimist
• idealist
• Pollyanna
• positivist
• sentimentalist

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pessimist

Even as Ukrainians remained mostly optimistic about their country’s future, the proportion of pessimists had also grown to 28 percent from 19 percent in December 2023. —Anton Grushetskyi, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024

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