Meaning & use

pessimist

noun·Academic

A person who tends to expect the worst outcome and focuses on the negative side of situations.

See it in a sentence

As a pessimist, he assumed the trip would be canceled even before it rained.

The pessimist in the group warned that the new plan was doomed to fail.

A note on using this word

Pessimist describes a person; the related adjective is 'pessimistic', as in 'a pessimistic outlook'.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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