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pessimismmore about pessimism

pessimism

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Pessimism  \Pes"si*mism\,  n.  [L.  pessimus  worst,  superl.  of  pejor 
  worse:  cf  F.  pessimisme.  Cf  {Impair}.] 
  1.  (Metaph.)  The  opinion  or  doctrine  that  everything  in 
  nature  is  ordered  for  or  tends  to  the  worst,  or  that  the 
  world  is  wholly  evil;  --  opposed  to  {optimism}. 
 
  2.  A  disposition  to  take  the  least  hopeful  view  of  things 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  pessimism 
  n  1:  the  feeling  that  things  will  turn  out  badly  [ant:  {optimism}] 
  2:  a  general  disposition  to  look  on  the  dark  side  and  to  expect 
  the  worst  in  all  things  [ant:  {optimism}] 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  PESSIMISM,  n.  A  philosophy  forced  upon  the  convictions  of  the 
  observer  by  the  disheartening  prevalence  of  the  optimist  with  his 
  scarecrow  hope  and  his  unsightly  smile.




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