Pollyanna 1 of 2

Definition of Pollyannanext

Pollyanna

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of Pollyanna
Noun
Alexi’s tutu-twirling positivity should not be confused with Pollyanna, nor her quirky insights with naiveté. Rich Roll, Outside, 26 Aug. 2025 During the festival, those attending can enjoy a selection of beer, wine and cocktails from Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling, along with offerings from other local St. Charles breweries, according to the release. Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025 Your options aren’t only ‘cynical’ or ‘naïve’ The opposite of a cynic is a Pollyanna. Stav Ziv, CNBC, 24 June 2025 But isn’t the cynical explanation also the Pollyanna one? Maya Singer, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025 Informed hope is not a Pollyanna attitude, but balancing the realities of the situation with the positive things people are doing. Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Pollyanna
Adjective
  • And for the star pitcher’s part, there seems to be plenty to be optimistic about.
    Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Once optimistic about the future of life in America, the show now has a stronger desire to make change.
    Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • In the great debate over how to address the national debt crisis, optimists suggest that expanding the economy is preferable to cutting federal spending.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 2 July 2026
  • Andy Sachs exemplifies an adaptive optimist, challenging norms and fostering open environments through self-reflection and curiosity.
    Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Adjective
  • Yet for all its honesty about that dislocation, the film remains remarkably hopeful.
    Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • The official did not sound particularly hopeful.
    Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
Noun
  • He’s got the twinkly eye and the sly, gregarious spiritual ease of a Micawber or a Cheeryble.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2024
  • The smallest of the Micawber brood glides away in his baby carriage, because the bailiff is dragging the hallway carpet out from under the front door.
    Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, 16 Sep. 2020
Adjective
  • Gomez wore her brunette hair in a chic updo and glowed with rosy blush and a smokey eye.
    Michael Nied, InStyle, 4 July 2026
  • He got rocked in his first start of the season against the Mets, but settled in nicely after that and everything seemed rosy.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • But Veda is no idealist out to end wars or reject her parents’ materialism.
    Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • Independent bookselling, rarely a way to get rich, is a meeting ground for idealists — for young people with a sense of mission, retirees embarking on a new life or middle-aged people no longer satisfied with their careers.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 May 2026
Adjective
  • At Tapasake, a Peruvian-Japanese, indoor-outdoor restaurant, a DJ provides an upbeat soundtrack for pool deck dining on top of The Link.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 June 2026
  • As a result, Newell is upbeat about fall.
    Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • But even as Moon landings, space shuttles, and reusable rockets seized the headlines, Link, along with a stubborn handful of engineers, explorers, and flat-out dreamers, kept plumbing the ocean instead.
    Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
  • For Rolling Stone’s Last Word column, Midler talked about the gigs, auditions, and storied feuds that took her from dreamer to entertainment legend.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pollyanna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pollyanna. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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