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
The actress, best known for Pollyanna and the original version of The Parent Trap, appeared on the Rosebud podcast with Gyles Brandreth, alongside sister Juliet Mills. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026 Doom and gloom always sells better than Pollyanna—but Pollyanna turns out to be more accurate, on average, in the long run. — Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 14 Jan. 2026 Chris Howe directed the hour, with Gilligan exec producing alongside David Geli and Pollyanna McGirr. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2026 Despite his on-screen demise, Burke — who shares daughter Bluesy LaRue Burke with ex-wife Pollyanna Rose — has learned a lot about parenting from his character. — Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025 Burke was previously married to actress Pollyanna Rose, per the Los Angeles Times. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 Alexi’s tutu-twirling positivity should not be confused with Pollyanna, nor her quirky insights with naiveté. — Rich Roll, Outside, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Pollyanna
  1. optimistic
  2. optimist
  3. hopeful
  4. Micawber
  5. rosy
  6. idealist
  7. upbeat
  8. dreamer
Adjective
  • Peridot acts as a buffer for Virgos, helping to soften their tendency for self-criticism and encouraging a more optimistic outlook.
    — Kelsey Stiegman, InStyle, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But optimistic lenses might cite the relative improvement by arguing that gap has shrunk when compared to the roughly $26,100 gap a year ago, and nearly $28,900 two years ago.
    — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of optimistic
Noun
  • Now the rot is right there on the surface; the people smiling are less likely to be clueless optimists than the people who are happy about the rot, or profiting from it.
    — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • That gloom extends far beyond assessments of the current time period; the Post/Ipsos poll found that 59% of Americans doubt their family's ability to improve their standard of living, outnumbering optimists by nearly 20 points.
    — Emily Guskin, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of optimist
Adjective
  • Many clergy bitterly opposed the handover of the villages and criticized Pashinyan, who came to power in the South Caucasus nation amid a wave of hopeful, pro-democracy protests that swept Armenia in 2018.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026
  • One Night Only is probably trying to be hopeful and sweet in its suggestion that love can make any nightmarish circumstances tolerable.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of hopeful
Noun
  • Ostrom also believes that this community is special and hopes to build a community backup from what used to be at Micawber's.
    — Ray Campos, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • 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
  • Other data has fed into a more bullish or rosy outlook for the labor market.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Top- and bottom-line beats and really rosy guidance for the current quarter.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of rosy
Noun
  • Doug Gibson, the novel’s closest thing to an idealist, is a pugilistic criminal-defense lawyer, the kind with ads on bus-stop benches.
    — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The campaign, which has highlighted divides over support for Israel, is a show for moderates against progressives, insiders against outsiders and pragmatists against idealists.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of idealist
Adjective
  • If goals diverge, name the common aim, then suggest a simple route that honors both needs, and your upbeat spirit will make consensus easier.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In a day when outsized egos rule the sports landscape, Harvey is humble, upbeat and engaging.
    — Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of upbeat
Noun
  • According to Rouse, the album grew out of observations gathered while traveling, with its songs populated by drifters, dreamers and fleeting encounters that blur the line between fiction and autobiography.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of dreamer

Browse Nearby Words

pollutions
Pollyanna
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Cite this Entry

“Pollyanna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pollyanna. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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