Optimist is to cheerful as pessimist is to

• A. mean
• B. petty
• C. gloomy
• D. helpful

Answer: (C)

An optimist is a person whose outlook is cheerful. A pessimist is a person whose outlook is gloomy. The answer is not (choice b) because a pessimist does not have to be mean. (Choices c) and d are incorrect because neither adjective describes the outlook of a pessimist.