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🇯🇵Japanese Source WordCode: JA

悲観主義

Pronunciation / Transliteration: hikan shugi

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Pessimism/ˈpɛs.ɪˌmɪz.əm/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #8500 frequency
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🇯🇵 Example Sentence in Japanese:

"彼の悲観主義は彼の人間関係に影響を与えています。"

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen.

    "Her pessimism about the future made it difficult for her to enjoy the present."
  2. 2

    A philosophical doctrine that emphasizes the negative aspects of life.

    "The pessimism of the philosopher was evident in his writings on human nature."
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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Latin superlative 'pessimus' meaning 'worst', combined with the French and Greek suffix '-ismus/-ism'. Coined in the 18th century by critics of philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz to describe the philosophical view that this is the worst of all possible worlds, it eventually evolved into its modern psychological meaning of general negative sentiment or gloomy outlook.

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