🇬🇧 Pessimist meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

A pessimist is a person who usually thinks things will go wrong, looks for problems instead of possibilities, and expects a bad ending even when everything is going fine.

Our teacher said, "Any questions?" and the class pessimist raised her hand and asked, "Yes, when exactly will everything start going wrong?"

When the teacher gave us free time, the pessimist whispered, "This is a trap; she’s secretly timing how long it takes us to become irresponsible."

At the spelling bee, the pessimist said, "If I win, I’ll probably trip on the way to the trophy."

The pessimist looked at his brand-new notebook and said, "It’s just sitting there waiting for me to make the first ugly mistake."

There’s no proof that being a pessimist actually prevents bad things from happening, but it does make every surprise party feel like "a suspicious gathering of suspiciously happy people."

The pessimist packed a blanket for the picnic and warned friends it would rain. Each time the pessimist checked clouds, the pessimist grimaced and handed out extra napkins. A child danced in sun, muddy shoes splashing, yet the pessimist still expected wet coats. Finally the sky held; the pessimist shrugged, smiled, and joined the laughing group.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

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