glass half empty
Expecting the worst
Glass half empty describes a pessimistic outlook—focusing on what's lacking rather than what's present.
The phrase comes from the question of whether a partially filled glass is half empty or half full, used as a test of temperament.
Someone who sees the glass half empty tends toward negativity: She's a glass-half-empty kind of person.
Often hyphenated when used as an adjective: his glass-half-empty attitude.
- pessimistOne expecting negative outcomes
- negativeOpposite of affirmative
- cynicalDoubting human goodness
- doom and gloomPersistent negative outlook
- gloomyDark and dispiriting
dark cloud · doubt · hopeless · bleak · worst case scenario · despair · worry · outlook · skeptic · bitter · disappointed · melancholy · dread · fatalistic · defeatist · dreary · rain on parade · jaded
- negativitynegativity, pessimism, cynicism, criticism, complaint
- outlookoptimism, pessimism, outlook, worldview, perspective
- despairdespair, hopelessness, desolation, despondency, dejection
glass half emptyglass half full
Positive outlook metaphor
optimistic · hopeful · looking on the bright side · positive · sunny disposition
glass half emptyglass half full
Positive outlook metaphor
abundance mindset · counting one's blessings · grateful · appreciative · scarcity mindset
glass half emptyoptimist
Habitually hopeful person
cheerful · sunny · bright-eyed · starry-eyed · idealistic
glass, half, empty, glasses, glassed, glassing, glassy, glassware, glassful