Pollyanna 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of Pollyannanext
as in optimistic

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Pollyanna

2 of 2

noun

as in optimist

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Dissimilar Words

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
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 See All Example Sentences for Pollyanna
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Pollyanna
  1. optimistic
  2. optimist
  3. hopeful
  4. Micawber
  5. rosy
  6. idealist
  7. upbeat
  8. dreamer
Adjective
  • Going into next season, how does Charles keep his optimistic outlook in the face of all that?
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026
  • Firefighters made progress keeping the fire in check, however, and officials were optimistic the city would be in the clear once the worst of the wind died down Sunday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of optimistic
Noun
  • More than anything else, that team proved what a romantic optimist Keegan was, to dream of playing football like that in the second tier, and to be brave enough to deliver it, telling his players to go out and entertain the fans.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Finally, of course, there are the ambitious optimists, people betting that fresh leadership will shake CNN out of it slumber (and give themselves a high-profile role to help achieve those goals).
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
Definition of optimist
Adjective
  • But her grandfather Andrew Viterbi had a very different perspective, somewhere between fatalistic and hopeful.
    — Felicia Feaster, AJC.com, 27 July 2026
  • These mega-trends are wonderful reasons to be hopeful about our future health.
    — Roderick Wong, Fortune, 25 July 2026
Definition of hopeful
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
Definition of Micawber
Adjective
  • Without saying a word to her children, Janet scooped the shirt out of the sink and marched it across the kitchen, rosy splotches dotting the linoleum at her feet.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • Things might be less rosy during the second half of the year, with the team mired in last place.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of rosy
Noun
  • Rose is a helper, an idealist desperate for a better world, which for her means decarbonizing the economy by building a better society in the process.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
  • An idealist could view the competing chatter as throat-clearing typical of a high-stakes labor negotiation.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of idealist
Adjective
  • Shares of Intel moved higher after the chipmaker reported strong quarterly results and provided an upbeat third-quarter outlook.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 23 July 2026
  • Local rock bands set the upbeat mood of the street festival on a pop-up stage near its south entrance.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
Definition of upbeat
Noun
  • But in recent history, the Spanish national soccer team has repeatedly wrecked the plans of dreamers and screenwriters.
    — Filip Bondy, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of dreamer

Browse Nearby Words

pollutions
Pollyanna
Pollyannaish
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Cite this Entry

“Pollyanna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pollyanna. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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