optimistically

adverb

as in positively
in a positive or optimistic manner After months of dwindling sales, the manager declared optimistically that "there is no place to go but up from here".

Related Words

Relevance

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 optimistically The bill’s supporters optimistically stress how Thune has promised there will be a vote in September. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The doc ends optimistically with a brief shot of the Tesla Roadster prototype. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 26 July 2026 Maybe the projections are realistic, but the inter-company structures depend a lot on the types of numbers that executives often embrace over optimistically. — Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026 The running shoes go in optimistically, followed by the leggings and the sports bra, packed by someone who clearly has a genuine, healthy relationship with exercise. — Jennifer Noyes, Air Mail, 18 July 2026 Major League Baseball optimistically released its 2027 schedule on Thursday. — Staff Report, Oc Register, 16 July 2026 In addition to Musk, tech leaders like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, have all spoken optimistically about humanity entering a phase of interplanetary travel within their lifetimes. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 July 2026 Arnold has spoken optimistically about this being a point in time that changes perceptions of Iraq on the world stage, allowing a global audience to see a nation keen to project itself in a more positive light. — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 9 June 2026 But the county found the Rays’ proposal leaned too optimistically on a sales tax known as the Community Investment Tax, which most commissioners said in 2024 would not go to a new stadium. — Nicolas Villamil, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optimistically
  1. positively
  2. confidently
  3. hopefully
  4. cheerfully
Adverb
  • As for why the driver has not been publicly identified, Barnes said police have positively identified him.
    — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • That in-between space might hold the real reason many culture change initiatives never reach the people they are intended to positively affect.
    — Gwen Mdinaradze, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of positively
Adverb
  • Some colleagues ask confidently for opportunities; others do valuable work with less visibility.
    — Bala Sathyanarayanan, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson confidently stressed this week that sacks of opposing quarterbacks will come.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of confidently
Adverb
  • During the ship’s christening, reservations to the specialty dining restaurants were hard to come by due to technical issues and scheduling errors, which will hopefully be ironed out when the next group sets sail.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The strategy there is to have the key flagship locations in key cities, but then create more of a scalable Webster store format, which can maybe go to second-tier cities, which hopefully will start to launch next year.
    — Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of hopefully
Adverb
  • The camera pans across images of Boston’s historic Fenway Park and a grim-looking Schumer, contrasting those shots with footage of Collins cheerfully hobnobbing with Maine voters.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Lon Cheng, a Cambodian vendor who has lived in Thailand for over 20 years, cheerfully called to customers and danced along with the music behind his vegetable stall.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of cheerfully

Browse Nearby Words

optimistic
optimistically
optimists
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Optimistically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optimistically. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All