pessimism

noun

pes·​si·​mism ˈpe-sə-ˌmi-zəm How to pronounce pessimism (audio)
also ˈpe-zə-
Synonyms of pessimismnext
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That doesn’t feel like a substantive reason for pessimism about McIlroy’s chances this week. — Justin Ray, New York Times, 17 June 2026 A lot of the pessimism and fear around AI is about what could happen, not what’s actually happening across the country. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 1 July 2026 And growing fears over diminishing job security in white-collar fields once thought of as safe are a key driver behind Americans’ growing pessimism about the economy. — D. Brian Blank, The Conversation, 29 June 2026 The persistent pessimism about the economy, which dates back to the Biden administration, is particularly strong among independents. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pessimism

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French pessimisme, from Latin pessimus "worst" + French -isme -ism, formed by analogy with optimisme optimism; Latin pessimus, probably going back to *pedisamos, derivative (with -isamos, superlative suffix, going back to Italic & Celtic *-ism̥mos) of *ped-, extracted from *ped-tu- "a fall, falling" (whence Latin pessum "to the bottom, to destruction"), verbal noun from an Indo-European base *ped- "step, fall," whence, with varying ablaut grades, Old English gefetan "to fall," Old Church Slavic padǫ, pasti, Sanskrit padyate "(s/he) falls, perishes"

Note: The Indo-European verbal base *ped- is generally taken to be a derivative of the noun *pōd-, ped- "foot"; see foot entry 1.

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pessimism was in 1815

Rhymes for pessimism

See All Rhymes for pessimism

Browse Nearby Words

pessimal
pessimism
pessimist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pessimism. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pessimism

noun
pes·​si·​mism ˈpes-ə-ˌmiz-əm How to pronounce pessimism (audio)
1
: a tending to expect the worst possible outcome
2
: a belief that evil is more common than good in life
pessimist
-məst How to pronounce pessimism (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

pessimism

noun
pes·​si·​mism
ˈpes-ə-ˌmiz-əm also ˈpez-
: an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome
pessimistic
ˌpes-ə-ˈmis-tik also ˌpez-
adjective
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