Depressive
Depressive adjective - Causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer.
Usage example: the depressive air of a dingy barroom where locals went to drown their sorrows
Optimistic
Optimistic adjective - Having qualities which inspire hope.
Depressive is an antonym for optimistic.
Both words in one sentence
- A very clear example is the 12:5 version of "Ashes" - while it was a heavy, extremely emotional (and depressive) track, it has become a soft-spoken, optimistic, positively-charged ballad.
Source: Music / Pain of Salvation
Cite this Source
Optimistic and Depressive. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/depressive/optimistic
Depressive & Optimistic. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/depressive/optimistic>.
Optimistic or Depressive. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/depressive/optimistic.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "depressive" and "optimistic" have occurred on timeline