pessimist
Meaning: A person who tends to expect unfavourable outcomes and focuses on the worst aspects of a situation.
Pessimist can be mildly pejorative, implying gloominess and negativity, but it is sometimes worn as a badge of intellectual seriousness — the idea that pessimists simply see the world clearly. In economics, a pessimist expects downturns; in philosophy, pessimism is associated with Schopenhauer. British culture has a complicated relationship with pessimism, often treating measured gloom as more sophisticated than naive cheerfulness.
Examples
- Pessimists warned that the ceasefire would not hold beyond the first week. 悲观主义者警告说,停火不会持续超过第一周。Los pesimistas advirtieron de que el alto el fuego no duraría más de una semana.悲観論者たちは停戦が最初の一週間を超えて持続しないだろうと警告した。비관론자들은 휴전이 첫 주를 넘기지 못할 것이라고 경고했다.
- The chancellor dismissed the doom-laden forecasts as the work of professional pessimists. 财政大臣将这些悲观的预测斥为职业悲观主义者的产物。El ministro de Hacienda desestimó las previsiones catastrofistas como obra de pesimistas profesionales.財務大臣はその悲観的な予測を職業的悲観論者の仕業として一蹴した。재무장관은 그 비관적 전망들을 직업적 비관론자들의 소산이라며 일축했다.
- Even confirmed pessimists had to concede that the employment figures were better than expected. 即使是坚定的悲观主义者也不得不承认,就业数据好于预期。Incluso los pesimistas convencidos tuvieron que reconocer que las cifras de empleo eran mejores de lo esperado.筋金入りの悲観論者でさえ、雇用統計が予想を上回ったことを認めざるを得なかった。확고한 비관론자들조차 고용 지표가 예상보다 양호했음을 인정하지 않을 수 없었다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: general, journalism
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From French pessimiste, from Latin pessimus (worst), superlative of malus (bad). Coined in the late 18th century, initially as a philosophical counterpart to 'optimist.'
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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