noun
pessimism
PES-ih-miz-um/ˈpesɪmɪzəm/
A tendency to expect bad outcomes or see the worst in things.
His pessimism makes him focus on the one dark cloud above the picnic.
Etymology
Built on “worst,” pessimism first named the worst possible condition. It came to describe a habit of thought that emphasizes life's evils or expects the darker outcome.
In context
they swallow a very large dose of pessimism about successful interpersonal communication in order to stay calm and in a good mood around some of the inevitable frustrations of relationships
More examples
- She tried to balance caution with excessive pessimism.
- The gloomy report deepened public pessimism.
- Their early pessimism proved unfounded.
Forms
pessimism
pessimistic adjective — expecting unfavorable outcomes
Similar words
- cynicism
- Cynicism distrusts people’s motives; pessimism expects unfavorable outcomes.
- despair
- Despair is loss of hope; pessimism is a tendency toward negative expectations without necessarily losing all hope.