catastrophize
Expect the worst
To catastrophize is to imagine or treat a situation as far worse than it actually is, dwelling on worst-case outcomes.
The word often appears in psychological contexts describing anxious thinking patterns: I know I'm catastrophizing, but I can't stop imagining everything that could go wrong.
Someone who catastrophizes a minor setback treats it as a disaster.
Depict with heightened emotion
- overstateRepresent as greater
- hyperbolizeTo exaggerate extravagantly
- amplifyIncrease in strength
- inflateFill with gas
blow out of proportion · escalate · magnify · overemphasize · sensationalize · overplay · embellish · overestimate
Uncontrollable sudden fear
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- terrorExtreme, overwhelming fear
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- fearEmotional response to threat
alarm · trepidation · apprehension · hysteria · anguish · despair · overwhelm · distress
Think deeply and repeatedly
- obsessDwell on compulsively
- overthinkPonder far too much
- spiralCurve winding around center
- broodHatchlings as a group
dwell · fixate · worst-case · magnify · overanalyze · overinterpret · distort · misperceive
Unavoidable grim fate
- gloomPervasive dimness or dejection
- fatalismDoctrine of inevitable outcomes
- defeatismAcceptance of inevitable failure
- negativityDisposition toward pessimism
cynicism · bleakness · worst-case scenario · hopelessness · despair · nihilism · doomsaying
Breathe excessively fast
- palpitationsAwareness of abnormal heartbeat
- sweatingMoisture through pores
- tensionStretched or strained state
- headacheCranial pain
insomnia · restlessness · nausea · trembling · racing heart · chest tightness · shortness of breath · muscle tension
dramatize
Depict with heightened emotion
- overstateRepresent as greater
- hyperbolizeTo exaggerate extravagantly
- amplifyIncrease in strength
inflate · blow out of proportion · escalate · magnify · overemphasize · sensationalize · overplay · embellish · overestimate · overreact
panic
Uncontrollable sudden fear
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- terrorExtreme, overwhelming fear
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
fear · alarm · trepidation · apprehension · hysteria · anguish · despair · overwhelm · distress · agitation
ruminate
Think deeply and repeatedly
brood · dwell · fixate · worst-case · magnify · overanalyze · overinterpret · distort · misperceive · cognitive distortion
doom
Unavoidable grim fate
- gloomPervasive dimness or dejection
- fatalismDoctrine of inevitable outcomes
- defeatismAcceptance of inevitable failure
negativity · cynicism · bleakness · worst-case scenario · hopelessness · despair · nihilism · doomsaying
hyperventilate
Breathe excessively fast
- palpitationsAwareness of abnormal heartbeat
- sweatingMoisture through pores
- tensionStretched or strained state
headache · insomnia · restlessness · nausea · trembling · racing heart · chest tightness · shortness of breath · muscle tension · fight-or-flight
catastrophizedownplay
Diminish perceived importance
minimize · trivialize · understate · play down · make light of
catastrophizeminimize
Reduce to smallest extent
downplay · rationalize · stay calm · stay grounded · look on the bright side
- catastrophic floodingSevere water overflow causing destruction
- catastrophic eventsSeverely damaging large-scale occurrences
- catastrophic lossSevere irreversible damage
catastrophic, catastrophically, catastrophism, catastrophizing, catastrophizes, catastrophized, catastrophise, catastrophizer