Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Pessimist |
PessimistNoun1. A person who expects the worst. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "pessimist" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1615. (references) |
| Domain | Definitions |
19th Century Satire | One who paints things blue. And sometimes red. Source: Foolish Dictionary, 1904. |
Literature | Pessimist One who fancies everything is as bad as possible. (Latin, Pessimus, the worst.). Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Antonym: optimist (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Cowardice | Alarmist, terrorist, pessimist; runagate; (fugitive). |
Dejection | Hypochondriac, seek sorrow, self-tormentor, heautontimorumenos, malade imaginaire, medecin tant pis; croaker, pessimist; mope, mopus. |
Hopelessness | Noun: hopelessness; Adjective: despair, desperation; despondency, depression; (dejection); pessimism, pessimist; Job's comforter; bird of bad omen, bird of ill omen. |
Overestimation | Noun: overestimation; Verb: exaggeration; vanity; optimism, pessimism, pessimist. much cry and little wool, much ado about nothing; storm in a teacup, tempest in a teacup; fine talking. |
Underestimation | Noun: underestimation; depreciation; (detraction); pessimism, pessimist; undervaluing; Verb: modesty. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Pessimist |
| English words defined with "pessimist": Arthur Schopenhauer ♦ Schopenhauer. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "pessimist": Optimist. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Pessimist" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Dutch (pessimist), German (gloomster, pessimist, worrier), Swedish (pessimist). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Ha, I see. Same old pessimist, aren't you? (Charlie Chan in Paris; writing credit: Philip MacDonald; Edward T. Lowe Jr.) Pessimist sees hole. (Charlie Chan in Paris; writing credit: Philip MacDonald; Edward T. Lowe Jr.) | |
Clever | Borrow money from a pessimist, they don't expect it back. (references; author: unknown) An optimist laughs to forget, a pessimist forgets to laugh. (references; author: unknown) The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true. (references; author: unknown) A pessimist is someone who looks at the land of milk and honey and sees only calories and cholesterol. (references; author: unknown) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit |  | The iron heel vs the mailed fist, the pacifist, and the pessimist / Morris.Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Elbert Hubbard | A pessimist is one who has been compelled to live with an optimist. |
Jean De La Fontaine | A pessimist and an optimist, so much the worse; so much the better. |
John Kenneth Galbraith | Man, at least when educated, is a pessimist. He believes it safer not to reflect on his achievements; Jove is known to strike such people down. |
Max Lerner | I am neither an optimist nor pessimist, but a possibilist. |
William Arthur Ward | The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sail. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | OPTIMIST, n. A proponent of the doctrine that black is white. A pessimist applied to God for relief. "Ah, you wish me to restore your hope and cheerfulness," said God. "No," replied the petitioner, "I wish you to create something that would justify them." "The world is all created," said God, "but you have overlooked something -- the mortality of the optimist." |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Pessimist" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Pessimist" is used about 42 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 42 | 52,864 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
b b b b black brutal death metal pessimist | 39 |
pessimist | 25 |
architect in journal network nexus optimist pessimist query | 5 |
audio b b b b death file metal mp3 mp3 pessimist real sound | 5 |
biography discography lyrics pessimist photo | 4 |
optimist pessimist | 3 |
pessimist quote | 3 |
funny know pessimist ways | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "pessimist"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | pesimist (croaker, downbeat, dyspeptic, pessimistic), ndjellazi (pessimistic). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | المتشائم, التشاؤمي. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | песимист. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 悲观者. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | pesimista. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | pessimist. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esperanto | pesimisto. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | بدبین (Pessimistic). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | pessimiste (pessimistic). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | Pessimist (gloomster, worrier), schwarzseher (alarmist, license-dodger, worrier). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | απαισιόδοξοσ (wet blanket). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | pesszimista (dyer in black, pessimistic), borúlátó (pessimistic). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | pencemas (coward), orang yang pesimis. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | pessimista. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 厭世悲観者 , 厭世家 , ペガスス座 (black plague, Pegasus, Pekingology, pessimism, pessimistic), 悲観論者 . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | ペシミスト , ひかんろんしゃ, えんせいひかんしゃ, えんせいか. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 염세주의자. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | doo-aignagh (pessimistic). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Papiamen | pesimista. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | essimistpay pessimista (croaker, cross-patch, pessimistic, pest), pessimismo (gloom, pessimism). (various references) pesimist (futilitarian, pessimistic, pessimistically). (various references) пессимист. (various references) pesimista. (various references) pesimista (depressed, gloomy, pessimistic, somber, sombre). (various references) pessimist. (various references) pesimist, karamsar kimse (calamity howler, croak, croaker, Jeremiah, Moody), kötümser (calamity howler, cynic, downbeat, Jeremiah, pessimistic). (various references) песиміст. (various references) kẻ yếm thế, kẻ bi quan. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "pessimist": pessimistic, pessimistically, pessimists. (additional references) | |
| |
"Pessimist" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: passifist, pesamist, pesismist, pessemist, pessimest, pessimis, pessimiss, Pessoais, Psimhis. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "pessimist" (pronounced pe"sumust) |
| 5 | -u m u s t | agronomist, alchemist, anatomist, animist, economist. |
| 4 | -m u s t | alarmist, biochemist, dumbest, extremist, firmest, grimaced, grimmest, nonconformist, premised, promised, slimmest, warmest. |
| 3 | -u s t | ablest, abolitionist, abortionist, absolutist, accompanist, activist, agonist, agriculturalist, allergist, amethyst, amorist, analyst, anarchist, anesthesiologist, anesthetist, angriest, antagonist, anthropologist, anticommunist, apologist, apprenticed, aquarist, archaeologist, archivist, arsonist, artist, atheist, August, ballast, balloonist, barest, behaviorist, biased, bicyclist, biggest, biologist, bitterest, blackest, bleakest, bloodiest, bluest, bluntest, boldest, botanist, bravest, breakfast, briefest, brightest, broadest, busiest, buttressed, calloused, canoeist, canvassed, capitalist, cardiologist, caricaturist, cartoonist, catalyst, cellist, chauvinist, cheapest, choicest, clarinetist, classicist, cleanest, closest, coldest, colonialist, colonist, columnist, communist, conservationist, contortionist, conversationalist, coolest, cornettist, craziest, creamiest, criminologist, cruelest, cultist, cyclist, darkest, deadliest, dearest, deepest, deforest, deist, densest, dentist, dermatologist, determinist, direst, dirtiest, dishonest, disinterest, driest, druggist, dullest, earliest, earnest, easiest, ecologist, editorialist, eldest, elitist, embarrassed, empiricist, encompassed, encyclopedist, endocrinologist, entomologist, environmentalist, epidemiologist, ethicist, ethnomusicologist, exhibitionist, exorcist, expressionist, faintest, fairest, fanciest, farthest, fascist, fastest, fattest, federalist, feminist, fetishist, fewest, fiercest, finalist, finest, fittest, flimsiest, florist, focused, focussed, foggiest, fondest, forest, formalist, freest, freshest, friendliest, fullest, fundamentalist, funnest, funniest, furthest, generalist, geneticist, gentlest, geologist, gerontologist, goldest, grandest, gravest, grayest, greatest, greediest, greenest, grooviest, guitarist, gymnast, gynecologist, happiest, hardest, harnessed, harshest, harvest, healthiest, heaviest, heftiest, herbalist, highest, hippest, hobbyist, holiest, honest, hottest, hugest, humblest, humorist, hygienist, idealist, ideologist, illusionist, immunologist, imperialist, impressionist, individualist, industrialist, institutionalist, instrumentalist, interest, internationalist, internist, interventionist, isolationist, jaundiced, journalist, juiciest, junkiest, keenest, kindest, kremlinologist, largest, latest, laziest, leanest, leftist, librettist, lightest, likeliest, linguist, littlest, liveliest, lobbyist, locust, longest, loudest, lowest, loyalist, luckiest, lyricist, machinist, manicurist, mannerist, masochist, materialist, meanest, medalist, mercantilist, merest, meteorologist, methodist, microbiologist, mightiest, mildest, mineralogist, misogynist, modernist, modest, monopolist, motorcyclist, motorist, musicologist, narrowest, nastiest, nationalist, naturalist, nearest, neatest, neediest, neurologist, neuroscientist, neutralist, newest, noblest, noisiest, noncommunist, noninterest, noticed, novelist, nutritionist, oboist, obstructionist, oddest, oldest, oncologist, ophthalmologist, opportunist, organist, orthodontist, orthopedist, pacifist, paleontologist, palest, panelist, pathologist, pharmacist, philanthropist, photojournalist, physiologist, pianist, polemicist, poorest, populist, prefaced, prejudiced, preservationist, prettiest, priciest, propagandist, protagonist, protectionist, proudest, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, psychologist, psychotherapist, purchased, purest, quickest, quietest, quietist, racist, radiologist, rainforest, rainiest, rapist, rarest, receptionist, reddest, refocused, reforest, remotest, repurchased, reservationist, reservist, resurfaced, revolutionist, rheumatologist, richest, rightist, riskiest, ritziest, roughest, rudest, saddest, sadist, safest, satirist, savviest, scariest, scientist, secessionist, secularist, segregationist, seismologist, semifinalist, separatist, serologist, serviced, severest, sexiest, shakiest, sharpest, shortest, showiest, shrewdest, sickest, silliest, simplest, skimpiest, skinniest, sleekest, slickest, slightest, sloppiest, slowest, smallest, smartest, smoggiest, smoothest, socialist, sociologist, softest, soonest, soundest, specialist, spiritualist, stablest, staunchest, steepest, sternest, stickiest, stiffest, stormiest, strangest, strategist, strictest, strongest, stupidest, supremacist, surest, surfaced, survivalist, sweetest, swiftest, tallest, tannest, technologist, televangelist, tempest, terraced, theorist, therapist, thickest, thinnest, thorniest, tightest, tiniest, toniest, toughest, tourist, toxicologist, traditionalist, trendiest, trickiest, truest, ugliest, ultranationalist, unbiased, unfocused, unionist, unkindest, unnoticed, urologist, violinist, violist, virologist, vocalist, weakest, wealthiest, weirdest, wettest, whitest, widest, wildest, wisest, witnessed, worthiest, yellowest, youngest, zaniest, zoologist. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "e-i-i-m-p-s-s-s-t" | |
-1 letter: missteps, pietisms. | |
-2 letters: missets, missies, misstep, mitises, pietism, stimies. | |
-3 letters: isseis, misses, misset, missis, pisses, pistes, pities, seisms, sepsis, smites, speiss, spites, stimes, stipes, tmesis. | |
-4 letters: emits, impis, issei, items, metis, mises, mists, mites, mitis, pests, piste, seism, semis, septs, simps, sipes, sises, sites, smite, spies, spite, spits, stems, steps, sties, stime, stipe, tempi. | |
| Words containing the letters "e-i-i-m-p-s-s-s-t" | |
+1 letter: pessimists, slimpsiest. | |
+2 letters: hipsterisms, pessimistic, prestissimo, scepticisms, skepticisms. | |
+3 letters: dissepiments. | |
+4 letters: impassivities, impressionist, semiparasites. | |
+5 letters: implicitnesses, impolitenesses, impressionists, neoplasticisms, pedestrianisms, photoemissions, physostigmines, pretermissions, superministers. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)50 65 73 73 69 6D 69 73 74 |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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| American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)
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| Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)
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| Braille (1829, in France) (references)
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Morse Code (1836) (references).--. . ... ... .. -- .. ... - |
| Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)
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| Amazon.com BOOKS: Search for: "pessimist" |
