optimism means a tendency to expect the best, or at least, a favourable outcome. It carries an Arena rating of 1661, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, optimism ranks #2,003 of 13,217 for Most Elegant Words, #2,291 of 13,217 for Most Malleable Words, #2,780 of 13,217 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,942 of 13,217 for Most Storied Words.
optimism is pronounced /ˈɑptɪmɪzəm/.
Why “optimism” is a great word
Optimism is the tendency to expect the best possible outcome or to focus on the most hopeful aspects of a situation. From French *optimisme*, from Latin *optimus* (“best”) + the suffix *-isme* (“-ism”). Unlike “pessimism,” which anticipates the worst, or “realism,” which professes a neutral accounting of facts, optimism is a deliberate orientation of the will toward potential. It is the gardener planting an acorn aware of coming storms, the conviction that the missed train was fortuitous, the quiet voice that whispers “perhaps” when every door seems bolted—a necessary faith against the encroaching dark.
Etymology
From French optimisme, equivalent to Latin optimus + -ism.
noun
- a tendency to expect the best, or at least, a favourable outcome“I love her youth, her beauty and above all her optimism that everything will turn out fine.”
- the doctrine that this world is the best of all possible worlds
- the belief that good will eventually triumph over evil
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.