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
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Despite the temple's optimistic outlook, the move has drawn criticism online.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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Some observers are less optimistic about a deal in the near term, however.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Ever the optimist, Obama shifted out of his defensive posture.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Wall Street optimists in good company BofA’s research team isn’t alone in reaching for history as a rebuttal to panic.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
School district spokesman John Sullivan said officials are hopeful the program can be implemented during the next school year.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2026
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Camp Mystic was constantly at capacity with a waitlist so backed up, many hopeful parents applied shortly after their girls were born.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
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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In the early 20th century, a group of idealists set out to build a road that would connect towns and showcase the raw beauty of the Columbia River Gorge.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
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Gorton skillfully depicts the grueling decades-long struggle of Sanger (the icon, in this telling) and Dennett (the idealist) to make birth control available and legal, as well as their interpersonal competition for power and influence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Lieber offered a more rosy interpretation of the past week of negotiations.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
-
The rosy boa and tarantula are among my favorites to view.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Set during the Great Depression, this electrifying musical follows two dreamers whose desire for more leads them into legend and danger.—
Staff report,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
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Louisa May Alcott’s father, Bronson Alcott, was a Transcendentalist and a utopian dreamer whose grand plans left him unable to provide for his wife and children.—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, the two countries’ standoff in the Strait of Hormuz escalated last week when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized commercial vessels for the first time—a sign that its forces remain potent and that the war could again defy the upbeat assessments from the Pentagon’s leaders.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
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The company also shared upbeat guidance, citing high demand for its analog chips that are crucial for the buildout of AI data centers.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pollyanna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pollyanna. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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