defeatist means of or relating to defeatism. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 71 out of 100.
defeatist is pronounced /dɪˈfiːtɪst/.
Why “defeatist” is a great word
DEFEATIST — [Adjective, Noun] Adjective: Characterized by an attitude of expecting or accepting failure as inevitable; Noun: A person who holds such an attitude. From English defeat (from Anglo-French defet, past participle of defaire 'to undo, destroy') + the suffix -ist, modeled on French défaitiste. First attested in English in the early 20th century (c. 1917). Unlike a pessimist, who expects the worst but may still resist, or a realist, who coldly appraises the facts, a defeatist has already surrendered, turning expectation into a quiet creed of inaction. It is the soldier who lays down his rifle before the battle is joined, the strategic map folded and put away, the warmth leaching from an untouched mug of tea—a philosophy not of prophecy, but of premature autopsy.
Etymology
From defeat + -ist, after French défaitiste.
adj
- Of or relating to defeatism.“You may look ruefully at your poor red hands and think that just because they have got that way through the extra work you are doing there’s just nothing that can be done about it. Of course, this is a deafeatist attitude—and a lazy one too!”
noun
- Someone who advocates defeatism, or has such an attitude.