defeatism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It may be tempting to slide into defeatism.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026

And he slammed cadres who for "too long been accustomed to defeatism, irresponsibility and passiveness".

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

But with enough resources, the Patriot target is achievable, despite much defeatism about U.S. industrial capacity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

“I think there’s a lot of negative polarization at play — an expression of defeatism or disenfranchisement at the fact that status quo politicians aren’t addressing young men’s problems.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2025

“I don’t think defeatism is honest,” Dad answered.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green