optimist, pessimist

optimist, pessimist
Each of these words has a number of vague meanings, and each is loosely applied in everyday use. As commonly understood, an optimist has a tendency, or disposition, to look on the bright side of events, to anticipate favorable results, to believe that good triumphs over evil, that there is some good in all reality: "Because Bob is always cheerful and hopeful, he can only be called an optimist." A pessimist takes an opposed point of view: he tends to expect the worst possible outcome of events, to feel that sorrow and evil are more prevalent than happiness and goodness, that all happenings will be disadvantageous. An optimist has been called "one who makes the best of it when he gets the worst of it"; a pessimist is "one who is not happy except when he is miserable," "a man who feels bad when he feels good for fear he'll feel worse when he feels better."

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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  • pessimist — See optimist. See optimist, pessimist …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • optimist — See optimist, pessimist …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • optimist — op‧ti‧mist [ˈɒptmɪst ǁ ˈɑːp ] noun [countable] someone who believes things will get better or be more successful in the future: • As major companies in this sector continue to show poor results, even optimists are getting worried. compare… …   Financial and business terms

  • pessimist — pes‧si‧mist [ˈpesmɪst] noun [countable] someone who always expects that things will get worse or that bad things will happen in the future: • Pessimists are predicting a downturn in the economy. opposite optimist pessimistic adjective pessimism… …   Financial and business terms

  • Pessimist — Pes si*mist, n. [L. pessimus worst: cf. F. pessimiste.] 1. (Metaph.) One who advocates the doctrine of pessimism; opposed to {optimist}. [1913 Webster] 2. One who looks on the dark side of things. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pessimist — [n] person who expects bad outcome complainer, crepehanger*, cynic, defeatist, depreciator, downer, gloomy, killjoy*, misanthrope, party pooper*, prophet of doom*, sourpuss*, wet blanket*, worrier, worrywart*; concepts 412,423 Ant. optimist …   New thesaurus

  • Optimist — Op ti*mist, n. [Cf. F. optimiste.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Metaph.) One who holds the opinion that all events are ordered for the best. [1913 Webster] 2. One who looks on the bright side of things, or takes hopeful views; one who experiences… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pessimist — Der Optimist erklärt, daß wir in der besten aller möglichen Welten leben, und der Pessimist fürchtet, daß dies wahr ist. «James Branch Cabell [1879 1958]; amerik. Schriftsteller» Sobald ein Optimist ein Licht erblickt, das es gar nicht gibt,… …   Zitate - Herkunft und Themen

  • Optimist — Der Optimist erklärt, daß wir in der besten aller möglichen Welten leben, und der Pessimist fürchtet, daß dies wahr ist. «James Branch Cabell [1879 1958]; amerik. Schriftsteller» Sobald ein Optimist ein Licht erblickt, das es gar nicht gibt,… …   Zitate - Herkunft und Themen

  • pessimist — [[t]pe̱sɪmɪst[/t]] pessimists N COUNT A pessimist is someone who thinks that bad things are going to happen. I m a natural pessimist; I usually expect the worst... It looks as if the pessimists are being proved right. Ant: optimist …   English dictionary

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