defeatist

[ dih-fee-tist ]

noun

1. a person who surrenders easily or is subject to defeatism.
2. an advocate or follower of defeatism as a public policy.

adjective

1. marked by defeatism.

Word History and Origins

Origin of defeatist¹

1915–20; defeat + -ist, modeled on French défaitiste

Example Sentences

This sounds defeatist - it shouldn’t be on parents to come up with all the policy solutions in what is an incredibly complicated space.

From BBC

He describes his country as "tired and angry, but not defeatist."

From BBC

Lying low in our green zone sounds pretty defeatist.

From Los Angeles Times

I shook off my defeatist attitude and gave Fig a confident nod, followed by a scratch under his chin.

From Literature

Sir Jeffrey has now bitten back calling it "defeatist and negative".

From BBC