English Explanatory Dictionary

pessimism

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A general belief that bad things will happen.
  2. The doctrine that this world is the worst of all possible worlds.
  3. The condition of being pessimal.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɛsɪmɪzəm/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-pessimism.wav

Word forms

pessimism pessimisms

Etymology

From French pessimisme, from Latin pessimus (“worst”) + -ism, superlative of malus (“bad”). As a doctrine, from German Pessimismus as used by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer in 1819.

Antonyms

optimism

Related words

pessimist pessimistic

Derived words

Afro-pessimism cultural pessimism cyberpessimism ecopessimism Europessimism heteropessimism Judeopessimism overpessimism technopessimism
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