pessimism

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
15
Words With Friends
18
Letters
9
Pronunciation
/ˈpɛsɪmɪzəm/

Definition of pessimism

3 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. (uncountable, usually)A general belief that bad things will happen.
    “T2 isn’t as good as T1: it is a little too long and unwinds a bit into caper sentimentality, broad comedy and self-mythologising. But it has the same punchy energy, the same defiant pessimism, and there’s nothing around like it. This sequel was a high-wire act, but Boyle has made it to the other side.”
See all 3 definitions

noun

  1. (uncountable, usually)A general belief that bad things will happen.
    “T2 isn’t as good as T1: it is a little too long and unwinds a bit into caper sentimentality, broad comedy and self-mythologising. But it has the same punchy energy, the same defiant pessimism, and there’s nothing around like it. This sequel was a high-wire act, but Boyle has made it to the other side.”
  2. (uncountable, usually)The doctrine that this world is the worst of all possible worlds.
  3. (uncountable, usually)The condition of being pessimal.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From French pessimisme, from Latin pessimus (“worst”) + -ism, superlative of malus (“bad”). As a doctrine, from German Pessimismus as used by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer in 1819.

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