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Definition of pessimism noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

pessimism

noun
 
/ˈpesɪmɪzəm/
 
/ˈpesɪmɪzəm/
 [uncountable]
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  1. pessimism (about/over something) a feeling that bad things will happen and that something will not be successful
    • There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects.
    • This widespread pessimism does not seem justified.
    opposite optimism
    Extra Examples
    • He warned against the dangers of undue pessimism.
    • The article reflects the pessimism of its author.
    • There were good grounds for pessimism about future progress.
    • the widespread pessimism among young people today
    Topics Difficulty and failureb2, Feelingsb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • deep
    • widespread
    • undue
    • …
    verb + pessimism
    • express
    • reflect
    • overcome
    • …
    preposition
    • pessimism  about
    phrases
    • a mood of pessimism
    See full entry
    Word Originlate 18th cent.: from Latin pessimus ‘worst’, on the pattern of optimism.
See pessimism in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee pessimism in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: pessimism

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