naysayer
pronunciation
How to pronounce naysayer in British English:
UK ['neɪˌseɪə]
How to pronounce naysayer in American English:
US ['neɪˌseɪə]
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- Noun:
- someone with an aggressively negative attitude
Word Origin
- naysayer (n.)
- 1721, from verb naysay (implied from 1530s in naysaying); from nay + say (v.). Nay-say "refusal" is from 1630s.
Example
- 1. Because it 's so easy to be branded a naysayer , ms. johnson figured out a way to cope with optimists -- by pinning concerns on others .
- 2. Only on the newspaper can you say things like " I was born in the year of the horse , that is why I am a naysayer . "
- 3. Under pressure from vulnerable and poor states in africa and elsewhere , it has shifted from naysayer to supporter of a global deal .
- 4. There she was , shedding a sidelined life and claiming center stage and then forcing every naysayer to see why .
- 5. Even during " blue sky " brainstorming sessions , where all suggestions are to be contemplated with an open mind , the naysayer immediately pooh-pooh s any proposal that challenges the status quo .