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

Optimists are also less likely to experience chronic diseases, depression, and other mental illnesses compared to pessimists. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

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