Meaning & use
pessimism
A tendency to expect the worst outcome or to focus on negative possibilities.
See it in a sentence
His pessimism made him assume the project would fail before it even started.
Despite widespread pessimism about the economy, hiring actually increased last quarter.
A note on using this word
Pessimism refers to a general outlook or attitude, not a single negative comment or emotion.
Words with a similar meaning
negativitygloom
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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