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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Recent Examples of pessimism
Has the pessimism finally been factored into Microsoft?
—
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
There’s a big conversation going on in the UK about the need for positivity in climate fiction, for example—paths of light to direct people away from hopelessness and pessimism.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
As well as Williams, there’s pessimism in the paddock around Aston Martin, which will arrive late to testing on Thursday.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Right now, this market seems possessed by pessimism.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
There’s a big conversation going on in the UK about the need for positivity in climate fiction, for example—paths of light to direct people away from hopelessness and pessimism.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
As well as Williams, there’s pessimism in the paddock around Aston Martin, which will arrive late to testing on Thursday.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Right now, this market seems possessed by pessimism.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pessimism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pessimism
Noun
-
As half-time approached during Sunderland’s visit, there was a growing desperation for an opener from the Emirates crowd.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Saturday in the Battle at the Bay at Mission Bay High School, the last big event before the end of the regular season, Montgomery fell behind by 17 points, went on a 16-0 run, and then lost 57-56 to Steele Canyon when a desperation last-second shot banged off the rim.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Get ready for tears – of sadness, of fear, and of laughter.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
-
That's my sadness around that game.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Frederick battled intermittent despair and sought solace in Swedenborgianism and other, stranger beliefs.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
That’s not always possible, but don’t despair.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Buckley navigates the film in elemental sorrow without sentimentality, delivering what many consider the performance of the year, and undoubtedly her career so far.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Now, their families are turning sorrow into service.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the gloom of February winter, these indulgences will make your day so much sweeter.—
Samantha Nelson,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
There are no answers, just doom, gloom, and radical acceptance.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Make shallow depressions for your rhizomes and cover so new green growth sits just above the soil surface.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Don’t sink into depression, this is temporary!—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Also striking was that George Jefferson shared his cynicism about White people and race in America via blunt humor and uncomfortable truths.—
Starr Rocque,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
-
But the art of Violette and his cohort tapped into a deeper disillusionment, the kind of corrosive cynicism that pervades a culture in which any sense of possibility for a non-horrifying future has been foreclosed.—
Rachel Wetzler,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Fanning’s name was the first called when nominations were announced, signaling that Scandinavian melancholy would be notably absent that morning.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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But Wednesday’s report about the parking fees quickly backfiring should turn this melancholy into fury.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pessimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pessimism. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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