Pessimism

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɛsɪmɪzəm/

Definitions

1. A tendency to expect negative outcomes or to focus on the worst aspects of situations
2. A general inclination to perceive and anticipate unfavorable results or to emphasize negative perspectives in various situations
3. An outlook characterized by a belief that bad things are more likely to happen and a focus on adverse possibilities

Etymology: Pessimism began as a philosophical doctrine before it became a mood. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer used the word "Pessimismus" in 1819, in his major work on the world as will and representation, to describe his view that existence is dominated by suffering and that the world we live in is the worst that could possibly exist. The name was built from Latin, not invented from nothing: it comes from "pessimus," the superlative of "malus" ("bad"), meaning "worst." The Latin root passed into French as "pessimisme," which English borrowed in the 19th century. The English form kept the German philosopher's sense of a settled, systematic outlook for some time before the word spread to describe a general temperament. The suffix "-ism" marks it as a doctrine or system, which is why the word originally named a theory of the world rather than a personality trait.

Synonyms: despair, gloom, negativity

Antonyms: optimism, hope, positivity