as in optimistic
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as in optimist
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Recent Examples of Pollyanna
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
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
-
Kidd sounded optimistic about the possibility of pairing Irving and Flagg together.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Franchise creator Kevin Williamson seems optimistic.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The path to Level 5 autonomous driving has turned out to be a much longer and bumpy one than the optimists once hoped.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Mokyr has long been known as an optimist about recent technological innovation.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As governor, his folksy, hopeful online webcasts drew national viewership.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The filmmakers and Disney are hopeful the pic will have staying power because of its subject matter, originality and solid audience scores.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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He’s got the twinkly eye and the sly, gregarious spiritual ease of a Micawber or a Cheeryble.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2024
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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
Noun
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And the call isn’t just coming from idealists this time – the prestigious science journal Nature is also now arguing for a global rail revival – not as a nostalgic nod to the past, but as a pragmatic cornerstone of climate strategy.—
Chelsea Haney
October 25,
New Atlas,
25 Oct. 2025
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Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As for glam, Tyla’s makeup, by artist Ngozi Edeme, featured a rosy blush with statement eyes and a glossy lip.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
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China’s game plan The outlook is not all rosy for China.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In January, Zapata will open a flight center near Las Vegas, where dreamers can fly on a geofenced track that winds around the roughly 50-acre property.—
J. George Gorant,
Robb Report,
24 Oct. 2025
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Throughout the 1970s, as much as Nicholson’s rebels or Beatty’s hopeless romantics, Keaton’s optimistic dreamers repeatedly collided with the realities of the times, measuring the distance between what the counterculture thought was possible and what the world would actually allow.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What was once an upbeat, old-timey Broadway song now felt more like a warning sign for the residents of Derry.—
Alexis Mikulski Ruiz,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
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This sounds like depressing stuff, and Mothertongue is not extremely upbeat.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pollyanna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pollyanna. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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