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
  • We’d been conditioned to be optimistic and trusting of leadership.
    — Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 2026
  • The optimistic interpretation is that Nolan’s visibility among directors has never been higher, and that his leadership role only strengthens his relationship with the very voters who determine the DGA winner.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 July 2026
Definition of optimistic
Noun
  • The optimists in our midst are hoping for a big improvement on that and that one or both of them will land in the nine-to-16 range, but more than half of y’all are thinking bottom half of the league, and that’s more defensible.
    — Josh Kendall, New York Times, 16 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
  • However, Zembower is still hopeful the new Salt Creek filters will make a meaningful dent.
    — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
  • Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul el Sayed indicated there was room in the Democratic Party for both pro and anti-Israel figures, aiming to shift attention elsewhere.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 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
  • The tax, generally considered a barometer of the tourist industry’s health, has been on a 14-month tear, shattering all monthly revenue records and outpacing the rosiest of predictions by its closest followers.
    — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
  • Working with longtime makeup artist Ernesto Casillas, Z showcased a glowy, poreless base with super soft rosy blush diffused on her cheeks, finished with a natural, luminous highlight across her cheekbones like a dapple of sunlight.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 15 July 2026
Definition of rosy
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
Definition of idealist
Adjective
  • 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
  • The team has dealt with losing seasons before, but rarely when there were upbeat expectations.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of upbeat
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
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 22 Jul. 2026.

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