pessimistic
/ˌpes.ɪˈmɪs.tɪk/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Expecting bad things to happen, or believing a situation will end badly. A pessimistic person often sees the negative side first.
- She felt pessimistic about the results.
- Don't be so pessimistic.
- His view was pessimistic but realistic.
Adinary Nuance
Pessimistic is not exactly the same as negative or realistic. Negative can describe a bad attitude or a bad result; pessimistic specifically means expecting the worst. Realistic means fair and practical, so a realistic person is not always pessimistic. Use pessimistic when the person's outlook is dark, not just careful.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bi quan
- Spanish
- pesimista
- Chinese
- 悲观的
- Japanese
- 悲観的な
- Korean
- 비관적인
Etymology
Pessimistic came into English in the 18th century from French pessimiste, based on Latin pessimus, meaning "worst." It developed as the opposite of optimistic.
Common phrases
pessimistic outlookpessimistic viewbe pessimistic aboutpessimistic forecast
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is pessimistic a negative word?
- Yes, it often sounds negative. It describes someone who expects bad results.
- What is the difference between pessimistic and realistic?
- Realistic means practical and based on facts. Pessimistic means expecting things to go badly.
- Can I say 'I am pessimistic about the exam'?
- Yes. It means you do not expect a good result.
- What is the opposite of pessimistic?
- The opposite is optimistic.