as in hopeless
emphasizing or expecting the worst
your defeatist attitude is depressing everyone else on the team!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in realist
one who emphasizes bad aspects or conditions and expects the worst
we told her that if she was going to be such a defeatist, she should keep her thoughts to herself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeatist
Adjective
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How to get your love letter stamped from Valentine, Texas For more than three decades, the small-town Valentine Post Office — also known as the Love Station — has processed thousands of love letters from hopeless romantics around the world.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025 -
Marcus Hopkins has been trying to have his criminal record expunged for years, a process which left him hopeless.—
Rebecca-Ann Jattan,
Sacbee.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Like his fellow realist John Mearsheimer, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, Haslam identifies NATO’s expansion eastward as a wound to Russia’s pride.—
Samuel Moyn,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
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After all, what is a mindful consumer if not a realist?—
Calin Van Paris,
Outside Online,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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For example, Donald Trump’s approach to power reflects a deeply cynical view of human nature.—
Dave Winsborough,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
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This Superman movie is the most cynical imaginable.—
Armond White,
National Review,
11 July 2025
Noun
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However, cynics have long predicted that AVs will flounder among the flocks of cyclists in European cities such as Amsterdam.—
Carlton Reid,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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Instead, cynics might argue, the exercise was about proving to the White House that Putin was not interested in the peace, or indeed the specific ceasefire proposal, that the Trump administration sought.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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The strategist expects a wide range of outcomes, citing bullish signals around sentiment that conflict with more pessimistic GDP forecasts.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
14 July 2025
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So while calls still outflank puts on an absolute basis, the high percentile means options traders have been much more pessimistic than usual.—
Schaeffer's Investment Research,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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But even pessimists were shocked by how aggressively the new team in Washington shook things up.—
Gideon Rose,
Foreign Affairs,
23 June 2025
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But that doesn’t stop a chorus of pessimists from emerging amid periods of market volatility.—
Luke Andriuk,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Defeatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeatist. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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