Pessimize

//ˈpɛsɪmaɪz// verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To take a pessimistic view of; to speak of in a negative or pessimistic way. transitive

    "Mr. [Benjamin] Disraeli's Church appointments have been received with general satisfaction. There are two relations of the matter; the one as regards the prudence and astuteness of the dispenser of good things, and the other as relates to the general good and efficiency of the Church itself. It is equally possible to optimize and pessimize either aspect."

  2. 2
    To make (something) pessimal or the worst; (in a weaker sense) to make (something, such as a computer program) less efficient. transitive

    "pessimizing compiler [...] A compiler that produces object [...] code that is worse than the straightforward or obvious hand translation. The implication is that the compiler is actually trying to optimize the program, but through excessive cleverness is doing the opposite. A few pessimizing compilers have been written on purpose, however, as pranks or burlesques."

  3. 3
    To think like a pessimist; to believe the worst. intransitive

    "The pessimising and desponding tone of the Tory Foreign Minister's correspondence, in the early part of 1859, can hardly be read without a shudder."

  4. 4
    To become pessimal or the worst. intransitive

    "Without an effort to integrate the various design disciplines, for instance, individual subsystems (such as the HVAC system) may be optimized, but the system as a whole may be "pessimized.""

Example

More examples

"Mr. [Benjamin] Disraeli's Church appointments have been received with general satisfaction. There are two relations of the matter; the one as regards the prudence and astuteness of the dispenser of good things, and the other as relates to the general good and efficiency of the Church itself. It is equally possible to optimize and pessimize either aspect."

Etymology

From Latin pessimus (“worst”) + -ize, modelled after optimize. Pessimus is derived from Proto-Indo-European *ped-tm̥mó-s, from *ped- (“to step, walk; to fall, stumble”) + *-tm̥mó-s (superlative suffix).

More for "pessimize"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.