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pessimism

American  
[pes-uh-miz-uhm] / ˈpɛs əˌmɪz əm /

noun

  1. the tendency to see, anticipate, or emphasize only bad or undesirable outcomes, results, conditions, problems, etc..

    His pessimism about the future of our country depresses me.

  2. the doctrine that the existing world is the worst of all possible worlds, or that all things naturally tend to evil.

  3. the belief that the evil and pain in the world are not compensated for by goodness and happiness.

pessimism British  
/ ˈpɛsɪˌmɪzəm /

noun

  1. the tendency to expect the worst and see the worst in all things

  2. the doctrine of the ultimate triumph of evil over good

  3. the doctrine that this world is corrupt and that man's sojourn in it is a preparation for some other existence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • overpessimism noun
  • pessimist noun
  • pessimistic adjective
  • pessimistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of pessimism

First recorded in 1785–95; from Latin pessim(us) “worst” (suppletive superlative of malus “bad”) + -ism; modeled on optimism ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But some investors think the pessimism is overdone.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

“We believe this combination of severe price compression, completely exhausted market breadth, and extreme pessimism is not a cause for panic, but rather a classic contrarian trading opportunity,” they wrote.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Microsoft’s stock is on pace for its worst quarterly performance since the financial crisis, underscoring the extent of investor pessimism around two of the company’s major businesses.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

Despite occasional blips of good news, growth always seems to be softer than hoped and inflation more persistent, and a dangerous pessimism is taking root.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

I felt an acute pessimism at the back of my throat when they were together.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.