against all odds
overpessimistic
glass-half-empty
unwilling
long odds
pessimistically
edge
overpessimism
gradable opposition
insecure
midlist
reservation
after all
ask for
invite
negative
accordance
conformity
antipolar
nip and tuck
antiprogressivist
dissatisfactory
antiprogress
nonopposition
unsatisfying
head-to-head
disappointing
one step ahead
neck and neck
accord
antiprogressive
unbackable
fat tail
nonoptimal
semicompetitive
antithetic
antipodean
antiempirical
all things considered
overchance
still and all
opposable
oddswise
notwithstanding
contrary
dubiously
invariableness
semideterministic
snowball's chance in hell
invariability