pessimism
noun
pes·si·mism
ˈpe-sə-ˌmi-zəm 
also ˈpe-zə-
1
: an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome
2
a
: the doctrine that reality is essentially evil
b
: the doctrine that evil overbalances happiness in life
Examples of pessimism in a Sentence
Although the economy shows signs of improving, a sense of pessimism remains.
Recent Examples on the Web
Couple that with the natural pessimism of French society, and you’d be forgiven for thinking the Paris Games will be anything but a logistical nightmare.
—
Jessica Roy, Rolling Stone, 5 July 2024
Exposure to consistent, sensationalized pessimism and negativity is the norm for news junkies.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2024
Instead, the grief stems from the very issues that the films raise — the fascism, the nuclear war, the brutality — and the deep pessimism of the series about those issues ever being eradicated for long.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 15 May 2024
Thanks to some combination of ingrained pessimism and bad reporting and demagoguery by public officials, a majority of Americans think crime is rising.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pessimism 
Jessica Roy, Rolling Stone, 5 July 2024
Exposure to consistent, sensationalized pessimism and negativity is the norm for news junkies.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2024
Instead, the grief stems from the very issues that the films raise — the fascism, the nuclear war, the brutality — and the deep pessimism of the series about those issues ever being eradicated for long.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 15 May 2024
Thanks to some combination of ingrained pessimism and bad reporting and demagoguery by public officials, a majority of Americans think crime is rising.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pessimism
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pessimism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pessimism. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pessimism
noun
pes·si·mism
ˈpes-ə-ˌmiz-əm
1
: a tending to expect the worst possible outcome
2
: a belief that evil is more common than good in life
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