Word
doomer
/ˈduməɹ/
Definition
n. someone who believes that the world is in a terrible state and that things will only get worse. You use this to describe people who feel hopeless about the future, especially regarding the environment or society.
n. a person who adopts a fatalistic or pessimistic outlook on the future, particularly concerning climate change, social collapse, or technological threats. Often associated with internet subcultures and a sense of resigned hopelessness.
Examples
“He stopped watching the news because it turned him into a doomer.”
“While some activists remain hopeful about new policies, others have embraced a doomer perspective, believing that environmental collapse is already inevitable.”
“The rise of doomer aesthetics on social media reflects a growing generational anxiety regarding systemic crises that appear increasingly immune to traditional political solutions.”
Examples
simple
“He stopped watching the news because it turned him into a doomer.”
contextual
“While some activists remain hopeful about new policies, others have embraced a doomer perspective, believing that environmental collapse is already inevitable.”
complex
“The rise of doomer aesthetics on social media reflects a growing generational anxiety regarding systemic crises that appear increasingly immune to traditional political solutions.”
Usage
Informal in register; frequently used in online discourse to contrast with 'bloomer' (an optimist) or 'zoomer' (Gen Z).
Real-World Examples
“Along with other AI doomers, they have repeatedly warned, with rather dramatic flourish, that bots could one day go rogue—with apocalyptic” “Today Yudkowsky is regarded as a leader of the “doomers”, a faction whose members believe that superintelligent AI will be unambiguously bad for humanity and perhaps even cause our extinction.” “Sometimes called “doomers”, these deflated young people often insist that radical, systemic change is the only chance for salvation – but find it difficult to believe that the world will actually rise to the occasion.” “For a moment, the AI doomers had the world’s attention.” Etymology
From Middle English domere, from Old English dōmere (“judge”), equivalent to doom + -er. The more recent sense was popularized via a meme, “30 Year-Old Boomer”. The derivations of which are other words that end in -oomer, describing various personality types.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/doomer