Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

optimism

/ˈɑptɪmɪzəm/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.66 in modern English

Syllables
op-ti-mism
IPA
/ˈɑptɪmɪzəm/
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A tendency to expect the best, or at least, a favourable outcome.

Uncountable

noun

The doctrine that this world is the best of all possible worlds.

Uncountable

noun

The belief that good will eventually triumph over evil.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From French optimisme, equivalent to Latin optimus + -ism.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɑptɪmɪzəm/
  • British English: /ˈɒptɪmɪzəm/

Usage

Inflected Forms

optimisms (plural)

Derived Forms

cyberoptimism overoptimism poptimism

Phrases

techno-optimism

Frequently Paired Words

optimal optimist optimistic optimistically optimization optimize suboptimal hope

Antonyms

pessimism hopelessness dystopianism

Questions

How do you pronounce optimism?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɑptɪmɪzəm/.
What does optimism mean?
A tendency to expect the best, or at least, a favourable outcome.
Where does optimism come from?
From French optimisme, equivalent to Latin optimus + -ism.

How to pronounce optimism

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “optimism”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɑptɪmɪzəm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “optimism”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “optimism” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.