Definitions for pessimism
ˈpɛs əˌmɪz əmpes·simism

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. pessimismnoun

   the feeling that things will turn out badly

2. pessimismnoun

   a general disposition to look on the dark side and to expect the worst in all things

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pessimismnoun

   A general belief that bad things will happen.

2. pessimismnoun

   The doctrine that this world is the worst of all possible worlds.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pessimism

   Pessimism is a negative mental attitude in which an undesirable outcome is anticipated from a given situation. Pessimists tend to focus on the negatives of life in general. A common question asked to test for pessimism is "Is the glass half empty or half full?"; in this situation, a pessimist is said to see the glass as half empty, while an optimist is said to see the glass as half full. Throughout history, the pessimistic disposition has had effects on all major areas of thinking.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pessimism

   Pessimism is a general disposition or state of mind in which one anticipates negative outcomes or believes that bad things will happen. This belief system can apply to all aspects of life, including personal events, global events, relationships, health, finances, and general expectations of others. It is the opposite of optimism, where one generally expects positive outcomes.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

1. Pessimismnoun

   the opinion or doctrine that everything in nature is ordered for or tends to the worst, or that the world is wholly evil; -- opposed to optimism

2. Pessimismnoun

   a disposition to take the least hopeful view of things

3. Etymology: [L. pessimus worst, superl. of pejor worse: cf. F. pessimisme. Cf. Impair.]

WikidataRate this definition:5.0 / 3 votes

1. Pessimism

   Pessimism is a state of mind in which one anticipates undesirable outcomes or believes that the evil or hardships in life outweigh the good or luxuries. Value judgments may vary dramatically between individuals, even when judgments of fact are undisputed. The most common example of this phenomenon is the "Is the glass half empty or half full?" situation. The degree in which situations like these are evaluated as something good or something bad can be described in terms of one's optimism or pessimism respectively. Throughout history, the pessimistic disposition has had effects on all major areas of thinking. Philosophical pessimism is the related idea that views the world in a strictly anti-optimistic fashion. This form of pessimism is not an emotional disposition as the term commonly connotes. Instead, it is a philosophy or worldview that directly challenges the notion of progress and what may be considered the faith-based claims of optimism. Philosophical pessimists are often existential nihilists believing that life has no intrinsic meaning or value. Their responses to this situation however are widely varied and are often life-affirming.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote

1. Pessimism

   pes′i-mizm, n. the doctrine that on the whole the world is bad rather than good: a temper of mind that looks too much on the dark side of things: a depressing view of life.—v.i. Pess′imise.—n. Pess′imist, one who believes that everything is tending to the worst: one who looks too much on the dark side of things—opp. to Optimist.—adjs. Pessimis′tic, -al. [L. pessimus, worst.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pessimism

   a name given now to a habit of feeling, now to a system of opinion; as the former it denotes a tendency to dwell on the dark or gloomy side of things, culminating in a sense of their vanity and nothingness, while in the latter it is applied to all systems of opinion which lay the finger on some black spot in the structure of the life of the world or of the universe, which so long as it remains is thought to render it unworthy of existence.

Matched Categories

1. • Despair
   • Disposition

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce pessimism?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

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   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

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   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

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   Indian

   Priya

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   Neerja

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   Zira

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   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

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   Fred

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   Tessa

   South African

How to say pessimism in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of pessimism in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of pessimism in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of pessimism in a Sentence

1. Katie Libbe:

   It’s been widely reported that baby boomers are worried about their retirement, but the financial planning and retirement concerns of Generation X have gotten less attention, while our study confirms that many boomers still lack confidence about their future, it reveals alarming realities about the significant angst and pessimism Gen X feels regarding the current and future state of their finances. They’re the next generation that’s quickly approaching retirement and their hands-off approach to planning and preparation is alarming.

2. Michael Levine:

   I have dealt with them face-to-face with them believing I was one of them.The notoriety gained by killing someone like Penn or even Del Castillo will actually turn these bastards on, it's a step into the dark world of the kill-crazies. Believe me it is there, and unwittingly these two may have stepped into a world where there is an actual competition to kill them. I sincerely hope I am proven wrong, but after 25 years of deep cover work in that world, pessimism is a blessed virtue.

3. United States:

   There's not much optimism, but are we too pessimistic ? I don't know, I think the pessimism this year is warranted.

4. Francesco Pesole:

   There was a lot of pessimism being priced into the pound.

5. Stephen Huang:

   Optimism toward the trade talks turned into pessimism overnight, the government needs to roll out more stimulus to stabilize the market.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=pessimism
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Pessimism
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pessimism
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pessimism
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=pessimism
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=pessimism
8. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Pessimism
9. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=pessimism