ZebraWords.com - The Definition of 'Pessimism', Synonyms of 'Pessimism' & More on 'Pessimism'

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

Schmerz, Slough of Despond, anxiety, apprehension, blank despondency, cliff-hanging, cynicism, death wish, defeatism, dejectedness, dejection, depression, despair, despondency, despondentness, discouragement, disheartenment, dismalness, dispiritedness, down trip, downcastness, downer, downheartedness, dread, drooping spirits, expectant waiting, gloominess, gloomy outlook, heartlessness, hopelessness, low spirits, lowness, lowness of spirit, malaise, malism, negativism, nihilism, oppression, retreatism, self-destructive urge, sinking heart, spiritlessness, suicidal despair, suspense, taedium vitae, uncertainty, uncheerfulness, waiting, weariness of life

Dictionary Results for pessimism:

1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)

pessimism
    n 1: the feeling that things will turn out badly [ant:
         optimism]
    2: a general disposition to look on the dark side and to expect
       the worst in all things [ant: optimism]

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Pessimism \Pes"si*mism\, n. [L. pessimus worst, superl. of pejor
   worse: cf. F. pessimisme. Cf. Impair.]
   1. (Metaph.) 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.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A disposition to take the least hopeful view of a
      situation.
      [1913 Webster]

3. The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906)

PESSIMISM, n.  A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the
observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his
scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile.

Common Misspellings >