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Etymology edit

From the expression "Is the glass half empty or half full?", the answer to which is said to determine whether a person is optimistic or pessimistic.

Pronunciation edit

  • (file)

Adjective edit

glass-half-empty (not comparable)

  1. (idiomatic, of a person) pessimistic
    • 2006, Laura Klepacki, Avon: Building The World's Premier Company For Women:
      Susan Kropf, the company's president and chief operating officer, says that while the management team is “by nature optimistic,” there is a “glass half empty kind of mentality.” Says Kropf. “We always think about what more we could have done, or how we could have done it better.”

Antonyms edit