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
-
Further afield, Southeast Asian distributors are cautiously optimistic about what the WBD-Paramount Skydance deal means for their markets.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Before encountering the issue, NASA officials had appeared optimistic that a successful fueling test had set the stage for a March launch.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The real divide in Europe’s tech debate, then, is not between optimists and pessimists, or nationalists and globalists.—
Wolfgang Oels,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The optimists will say inconsistency is a product of experimentation.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Whatever Americans think about what occurred this weekend, with the attendant death, economic disruption and other horrible human costs of war, to wish for anything other than that is to betray the brave Iranian people and its worried but hopeful diaspora, amply represented in our city.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Told in a first-person, free verse style, her struggle to overcome a family tragedy, an ecological catastrophe, and the Great Depression is harrowing yet hopeful.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 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
Noun
-
This is ultimately a story about America and the kinds of dreamers the country produces: Garfield was an idealist, and Shannon portrays him with earnestness and purpose—a man devoted to his family but also to moral causes, including keeping Reconstruction from falling apart.—
Stephanie Bai,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
-
While Sophie has a pragmatic approach to life, she’s complemented by Benedict, a dreamy idealist.—
Kat Moon,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The specialty chemicals maker reported better-than-expected revenue and profit and rosy guidance.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Then at totality, watch how the shades of color morph on the lunar surface – from rosy-gray to pink to orange.—
Dean Regas,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While the study was small, the team saw signs that dreaming about a puzzle was linked to being able to solve it the following morning–although, intriguingly, normal dreamers were more successful than lucid ones.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
26 Feb. 2026
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Shenzhen is likened to a vibrant harbor for dreamers, and the hotel is pulling off the feat of becoming a gathering place for tech professionals and financial elites.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The stock climbed more than 9% Tuesday after its first, upbeat earnings release.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Even with the concerns over the Iran attack and as luxury stocks fell worldwide, retailers left Milan on an upbeat note, praising Italian creativity and craftsmanship as well as the wearability of the garments presented on and off the runways — and Prada‘s lesson in styling.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pollyanna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pollyanna. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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