naysayer
a person with a negative point of view
TRANSLATION
naysaying = verneinen, widersetzen naysayer = der Pessimist, der Schwarzseher --- GOOGLE INDEX naysaying: approximately 267,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Terror case 'NAYSAYERS' attacked. Those who have highlighted apparent police mistakes in the case of the fertiliser bomb plot trial are "naysayers", Sir Ian Blair has said.
(BBC News)
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Roger Milla is 42 now and after three years away from world-class soccer and in the face of considerable NAYSAYING from teammates and the new national coach, Henri Michel, he has resumed his playing career
(New York Times)
(BBC News)
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Roger Milla is 42 now and after three years away from world-class soccer and in the face of considerable NAYSAYING from teammates and the new national coach, Henri Michel, he has resumed his playing career
(New York Times)
Did you
know?
naysayer
noun
- a person who opposes, denies, or takes a pessimistic or negative view of something
(American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
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WORD ORIGIN
Naysay, sometimes written with a hyphen (nay-say), dates back to 1631. It is a compound word made up of "nay" (a word of negation that has Scandinavian roots) and "say." Thus naysay means to oppose or express a negative view about something. By definition, naysaying is always used in a negative sense. The noun "naysayer" is likewise a derogatory term for someone who is perceived as a pessimist or someone who generally expresses a contrary opinion. These people might also be called whiners, complainers, grumps or faultfinders.
Technological progress is usually accompanied by some amount of naysaying. There are always people who are either afraid of change or who simply don't believe that technology yields benefits. The following is a list of quotes that represents the ultimate in naysaying:
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." - Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." - Western Union internal memo, 1876
"Who the heck wants to hear actors talk?" - H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers Studios, 1927
"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." - Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.
And finally, Microsoft founder Bill Gates was quoted as saying in 1981 that "640K of memory ought to be enough for anybody."
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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"In difficult times too much naysaying can block progress."
noun
- a person who opposes, denies, or takes a pessimistic or negative view of something
(American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
---
WORD ORIGIN
Naysay, sometimes written with a hyphen (nay-say), dates back to 1631. It is a compound word made up of "nay" (a word of negation that has Scandinavian roots) and "say." Thus naysay means to oppose or express a negative view about something. By definition, naysaying is always used in a negative sense. The noun "naysayer" is likewise a derogatory term for someone who is perceived as a pessimist or someone who generally expresses a contrary opinion. These people might also be called whiners, complainers, grumps or faultfinders.
Technological progress is usually accompanied by some amount of naysaying. There are always people who are either afraid of change or who simply don't believe that technology yields benefits. The following is a list of quotes that represents the ultimate in naysaying:
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." - Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." - Western Union internal memo, 1876
"Who the heck wants to hear actors talk?" - H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers Studios, 1927
"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." - Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.
And finally, Microsoft founder Bill Gates was quoted as saying in 1981 that "640K of memory ought to be enough for anybody."
---
SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"In difficult times too much naysaying can block progress."
