optimist

1 of 2

noun (1)

op·​ti·​mist ˈäp-tə-mist How to pronounce optimist (audio)
: a person who is inclined to be hopeful and to expect good outcomes : someone who is given to optimism
The optimists have faith that no matter how avaricious the age, literature will endure.Michael Norman

Optimist

2 of 2

noun (2)

Op·​ti·​mist ˈäp-tə-mist How to pronounce Optimist (audio)
: a member of a major international service club

Examples of optimist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But optimists think workers will be able to leverage AI to improve their productivity, and a big share of those workers could come from a surprising source. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 19 Apr. 2024 Produced by Northern Pictures, the U.S. series’ latest season features a diverse cast ranging from 18-year-old Journey from Chicago, newly diagnosed, to 64-year-old optimist Steve from San Francisco, all sharing their journeys to find love. Clayton Davis, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024 An optimist would view their perfect start as a sign of things to come, but a pessimist would point out that the season can only go downhill from here. Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024 New leftist parties, such as Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain, emerged or drew strength from the wreckage of the 2008 global economic recession but didn’t achieve as much as optimists had hoped. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024 An optimist might invoke the idea of democratization, pointing to the medium’s ability to amplify otherwise silent voices, in ways both good and bad. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 An optimist wants to believe that once the country repairs its bridges and gets everyone logged onto super-fast WiFi, makes billionaires pay up in taxes and gets prescription drug prices under control, that Americans will be better. Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Jan Hatzius, chief economist and head of the global investment research division at Goldman Sachs, has spent the past few years playing Wall Street’s optimist. Will Daniel, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2024 He’s dealt a slight disadvantage in this regard since his character is written as an over-the-top, wide-eyed optimist with colorful quirks — a Manic Pixie Dream Boy for the introverted Doom. Courtney Howard, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'optimist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

optim(ism) + -ist entry 1, probably after French optimiste

Noun (2)

Optimist (Club)

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1759, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of optimist was in 1759

Dictionary Entries Near optimist

Cite this Entry

“Optimist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optimist. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

optimist

noun
op·​ti·​mist
ˈäp-tə-məst
: an optimistic person
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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