see the glass half-empty

see the glass half-empty (third-person singular simple present sees the glass half-empty, present participle seeing the glass half-empty, simple past saw the glass half-empty, past participle seen the glass half-empty)

1. (figuratively) To focus on what one does not have instead of what one has; to focus on the negative aspects of a situation; to adopt a pessimistic attitude towards life in general.

   Antonym: see the glass half-full