Pessimistic Meaning
/ˌpɛ.səˈmɪs.tɪk/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjMarked by pessimism and little hopefulness; expecting the worst.
adjPertaining to the worst-case scenario.
Sentence Examples
The optimist looks into a mirror and becomes more optimistic, the pessimist more pessimistic.
He has a tendency to be pessimistic.
He is extremely pessimistic and has no aspirations.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
After hearing the bad news, she became quite ____ about her chances of winning.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The economic forecast was ____, predicting slow growth and rising unemployment for the next year.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English pessimist Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English pessimistic From pessimist + -ic.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"However pessimistic their predictions, most scientists and scholars who warn of impending disaster are really acting from antidystopian motives."
— 1996, George Thomas Kurian, Graham Thomas Tate Molitor, Encyclopedia of the future, volume 1, page 212:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After hearing the bad news, she became quite ____ about her chances of winning.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The economic forecast was ____, predicting slow growth and rising unemployment for the next year.