Dictionary.com

7 results for: pessimist

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
pes·si·mist    Audio Help   [pes-uh-mist] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.a person who habitually sees or anticipates the worst or is disposed to be gloomy.
2.an adherent of the doctrine of pessimism.
[Origin: 1830–40; pessim(ism) + -ist]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
pessimist

To learn more about pessimist visit Britannica.com

© 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
pes·si·mism    Audio Help   (pěs'ə-mĭz'əm)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
  1. A tendency to stress the negative or unfavorable or to take the gloomiest possible view: "We have seen too much defeatism, too much pessimism, too much of a negative approach" (Margo Jones).
  2. The doctrine or belief that this is the worst of all possible worlds and that all things ultimately tend toward evil.
  3. The doctrine or belief that the evil in the world outweighs the good.


[French pessimisme (on the model of optimisme, optimism), from Latin pessimus, worst; see ped- in Indo-European roots.]

pes'si·mist n., pes'si·mis'tic adj., pes'si·mis'ti·cal·ly adv.
(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
pessimist

noun
a person who expects the worst [ant: optimist] 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
ˈpessimist noun
a person who thinks in this way
Example: He is such a pessimist that he always expects the worst.
Arabic: الشَّخص المُتَشائِم
Chinese (Simplified): 悲观主义者
Chinese (Traditional): 悲觀主義者
Czech: pesimista
Danish: pessimist
Dutch: pessimist
Estonian: pessimist
Finnish: pessimisti
French: pessimiste
German: der, *die Pessimist(in)
Greek: απαισιόδοξος
Hungarian: pesszimista
Icelandic: svartsÿnismaður
Indonesian: pesimis
Italian: pessimista
Japanese: 悲観主義者
Korean: 비관론자
Latvian: pesimists
Lithuanian: pesimistas
Norwegian: pessimist
Polish: pesymista
Portuguese (Brazil): pessimista
Portuguese (Portugal): pessimista
Romanian: pesimist
Russian: пессимист
Slovak: pesimista, -ka
Slovenian: pesimist
Spanish: pesimista
Swedish: pessimist
Turkish: kötümser
See also: pessimism, "pessimist" in any language

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pessimist

Op"ti*mist\, n. [Cf. F. optimiste.]

1. (Metaph.) One who holds the opinion that all events are ordered for the best.

2. One who looks on the bright side of things, or takes hopeful views; -- opposed to pessimist.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Pessimist

Pes"si*mist\, n. [L. pessimus worst: cf. F. pessimiste.]

1. (Metaph.) One who advocates the doctrine of pessimism; -- opposed to optimist.

2. One who looks on the dark side of things.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web

Share This:   Share This: del.icio.usShare This: digg.comShare This: FacebookShare This: furl.netShare This: www.netscape.comShare This: myweb2.search.yahoo.comShare This: www.stumbleupon.comShare This: www.google.comShare This: www.technorati.comShare This: blinklist.comShare This: newsvine.comShare This: ma.gnolia.comShare This: reddit.comShare This: favorites.live.comShare This: tailrank.com

Perform a new search, or try your search for "pessimist" at: