pessimism
Anticipating bad outcomes
Pessimism is a tendency to expect the worst outcome or to see the negative aspects of situations.
A pessimist anticipates failure, disappointment, or misfortune, even when circumstances don't warrant such gloom.
Her pessimism about the economy kept her from investing.
The word also names a philosophical doctrine holding that this world is fundamentally bad or that evil outweighs good.
Pessimism contrasts with optimism, its opposite disposition toward hopefulness.
Disposition toward pessimism
- hopelessnessState without hope
- despairTotal absence of hope
- bleaknessQuality of being dreary
- gloomPervasive dimness or dejection
doom · foreboding · dread · worst-case thinking · catastrophizing · defeatism · fatalism · discouragement
Rejection of objective meaning
- existentialismPhilosophy stressing self-created meaning
- absurdismPhilosophy embracing existence's irrationality
- SchopenhauerGerman pessimist philosopher
- fatalismDoctrine of inevitable outcomes
determinism · weltschmerz · entropy · meaninglessness · futility · vanity · stoicism · realism
Lack of firm belief
- distrustAbsence of confidence
- mistrustLack of faith
- cynicismDistrust of human sincerity
- incredulityInability to accept something
disbelief · suspicion · wariness · misgivings · questioning · reservation · qualms · world-weariness
Subdued, lasting sadness
- sadnessState of emotional pain
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- despairTotal absence of hope
- depressionProlonged low state
angst · sorrow · woe · heaviness · brooding · moodiness · sullenness · doldrums
Accepting things as they are
- cautionCareful attention to risk
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- contingency planningPreparing for possible problems
- hedgingNoncommittal maneuvering
negativity
Disposition toward pessimism
- hopelessnessState without hope
- despairTotal absence of hope
- bleaknessQuality of being dreary
gloom · doom · foreboding · dread · worst-case thinking · catastrophizing · defeatism · fatalism · discouragement · disheartenment
nihilism
Rejection of objective meaning
- existentialismPhilosophy stressing self-created meaning
- absurdismPhilosophy embracing existence's irrationality
- SchopenhauerGerman pessimist philosopher
fatalism · determinism · weltschmerz · entropy · meaninglessness · futility · vanity · stoicism · realism · Thomas Hardy
doubt
Lack of firm belief
incredulity · disbelief · suspicion · wariness · misgivings · questioning · reservation · qualms · world-weariness · jadedness
melancholy
Subdued, lasting sadness
depression · angst · sorrow · woe · heaviness · brooding · moodiness · sullenness · doldrums · malaise
realism
Accepting things as they are
- cautionCareful attention to risk
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- contingency planningPreparing for possible problems
- human traitskindness, compassion, empathy, generosity, creativity
- ismscapitalism, socialism, communism, anarchism, racism
- mental statesknowledge, conscious, mood, anxious, memory
- outlookoutlook, worldview, perspective, mindset, attitude
- mindsetmindset, mentality, outlook, attitude, perspective
- pessimismnihilism, fatalism, hopelessness, despair, gloom
pessimismoptimism
Tendency to expect good
hopefulness · hope · positive thinking · confidence · sanguinity
pessimismcheerfulness
State of bright spirits
happiness · joie de vivre · sunniness · buoyancy · joy
pessimismresilience
Capacity to recover quickly
grit · perseverance · determination · tenacity · hardiness