pessimism
noun/ˈpesɪmɪzəm/
/ˈpesɪmɪzəm/
[uncountable]- 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.
Extra ExamplesTopics Difficulty and failureb2, Feelingsb2- 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
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- deep
- widespread
- undue
- …
- express
- reflect
- overcome
- …
- pessimism about
- a mood of pessimism
Word Originlate 18th cent.: from Latin pessimus ‘worst’, on the pattern of optimism.Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
pessimism