different between pessimism vs cynical

English

Etymology

From French pessimisme, from Latin pessimus (“worst”), superlative of malus (“bad”).As a doctrine, from German Pessimismus as used by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer in 1819.

Noun

pessimism (usually uncountable, plural pessimisms)

1. A general belief that bad things will happen.
2. The doctrine that this world is the worst of all possible worlds.
3. (computing) The condition of being pessimal.

Antonyms

• optimism

Related terms

• pessimist
• pessimistic

Derived terms

• cultural pessimism
• ecopessimism

Translations

Further reading

• pessimism in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• pessimism in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• pessimism at OneLook Dictionary Search

Swedish

Noun

pessimism c

1. pessimism; a general belief that bad things will happen

Declension

Antonyms

• optimism

Related terms

• pessimist
• pessimistisk

English

Etymology

Originated 1580–90 from cynic +? -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?n?k?l/
• Homophone: sinical

Adjective

cynical (comparative more cynical, superlative most cynical)

1. Of or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated only or primarily by base desires or selfishness.
2. Skeptical of the integrity, sincerity, or motives of others.
3. Bitterly or jadedly distrustful or contemptuous; mocking.

   • He seldom talked, and when he did, it was usually to make some cynical remark-for instance, he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies.

4. Showing contempt for accepted moral standards by one's actions.

   • When he, at Neergard's cynical suggestion, had consented to exploit his own club […] and had consented to resign from it to do so, he had every reason to believe that Neergard meant to either mulct them heavily or buy them out. In either case, having been useful to Neergard, his profits from the transaction would have been considerable.

5. (medicine, rare) Like the actions of a snarling dog, especially in reference to facial nerve paralysis.

Translations

References

• “cynical”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, ?ISBN
• “cynical” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "cynical" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.
• cynical at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• calycin