as in desperation
a feeling or belief that bad things will happen in the future; a feeling or belief that what you hope for will not happen
She has expressed pessimism over the outcome of the trial. Although the economy shows signs of improving, a sense of pessimism remains. He expressed his pessimism about politics and politicians.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pessimism
The climate activist driven by pessimism has a sense of direness, of panic.
—
Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025
As Miami prepares to celebrate MLK Day with a parade through Liberty City, Black residents who spoke to the Miami Herald expressed pessimism that Trump’s second administration will address their needs and frustration with his rhetoric.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2025
Essentially, as much as fans and other onlookers in Manchester and Madrid might share the same pessimism about the match, suggesting similar problems at each end, all that shows is that some cannot grasp how poor City have been.
—Sam Lee, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
Ratings of current economic conditions fell among Democrats, independents, and Republicans, indicating widespread pessimism about the economy, according to the survey.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025
As Miami prepares to celebrate MLK Day with a parade through Liberty City, Black residents who spoke to the Miami Herald expressed pessimism that Trump’s second administration will address their needs and frustration with his rhetoric.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2025
Essentially, as much as fans and other onlookers in Manchester and Madrid might share the same pessimism about the match, suggesting similar problems at each end, all that shows is that some cannot grasp how poor City have been.
—Sam Lee, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
Ratings of current economic conditions fell among Democrats, independents, and Republicans, indicating widespread pessimism about the economy, according to the survey.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimism
Noun
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When guests arrive in town with a plan that will uproot Junie’s life, her act of desperation wakes Minnie’s spirit from the grave, also unveiling horrifying secrets about Bellereine.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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Their swollen limbs, skeletal frames, and mewling cries of desperation are what keep me awake at night.—
Jennifer Furin,
TIME,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This is really just, across America, giving folks that maybe feel a lot of despair across this first month an outlet to feel heard and understood and comforted by like-minded individuals.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
25 Feb. 2025
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Their opulent investment in wages for Lorenzo Insigne has royally backfired, costing Bill Manning his job last summer and digging the Reds into a deep pit of despair for the past couple of years.—
Jeff Rueter,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Residents gathered in Hostages Square, outside Israel's defense headquarters, as sorrow set in across the country.—
Chris Kenning,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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The sorrows of the women are also narrativized with poignancy and emotionality.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Some experts think stories about climate issues don’t all have to be doom and gloom The question is, how can movies and TV shows that depict climate change spur viewers into action, or even to just become more climate aware, without scaring them?—
Dan Heching,
CNN,
20 Feb. 2025
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The young lead has a wonderfully magnetic presence, veering between youthful frolic and pensive gloom, even though the film rarely creates circumstances where the latter makes sense.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The fear of deportation can lead to significant mental health problems for immigrants and their loved ones, ranging from conditions like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to a loss of trust in others and social isolation.—
Kristina Fullerton Rico,
The Conversation,
19 Feb. 2025
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These symptoms were bad enough, but her neurological symptoms — including anxiety, depression, short-term memory loss, panic attacks and confusion — were worse.—
Farah Aziz Annesha,
The Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Emotional detachment, cynicism, or withdrawal from relationships.—
Amanda Miller Littlejohn,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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The cynicism about the media and the machinations and the power the character wielded.—
Stuart Miller,
Orange County Register,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In her new book, Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People, Perry explores blue as a symbol of both hope and melancholy throughout Black history.—
Tonya Mosley,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2025
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The Elephant Man is an elegant picture, one of Lynch’s most straightforward and touching films—but even then, the joyful melancholy of its visual poetry is distinctly his own.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
16 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimism. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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