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".
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Recent Examples of optimistically
Anaheim’s tourism bureau saw 2025 slowed by fires, inflation, tariffs and geopolitical issues, but Visit Anaheim President and CEO Mike Waterman optimistically said 2026 is poised to be the best year in the organization’s 65-year history.
—
Victoria Le, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, perhaps optimistically, the TV Academy isn’t closing the door to once again splitting outstanding variety series into two.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Before boarding the bus, schoolboy Harrison Higgins, who bangs the drum, literally, for Darlo, optimistically predicts a 2-1 away win.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Yet university leaders have spoken optimistically about the future, bolstered by its new membership in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), its coaching staff and a $25 million renovation of its archaic football stadium.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Be optimistically realistic, as much as possible.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
The style is the kind still optimistically described as futuristic, though the reopening of a new New Museum in 2025 is a reminder that this future is close to twenty years old, a throwback to a time when smart design and calm authority were still widely believed to be capable of saving the world.
—Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Some might optimistically imagine that Google is only tracking their internet searches via Google.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
This approach, known as a judgment-bias test, reveals how optimistically or cautiously an animal interprets uncertainty.
—New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2025
Victoria Le, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, perhaps optimistically, the TV Academy isn’t closing the door to once again splitting outstanding variety series into two.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Before boarding the bus, schoolboy Harrison Higgins, who bangs the drum, literally, for Darlo, optimistically predicts a 2-1 away win.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Yet university leaders have spoken optimistically about the future, bolstered by its new membership in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), its coaching staff and a $25 million renovation of its archaic football stadium.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Be optimistically realistic, as much as possible.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
The style is the kind still optimistically described as futuristic, though the reopening of a new New Museum in 2025 is a reminder that this future is close to twenty years old, a throwback to a time when smart design and calm authority were still widely believed to be capable of saving the world.
—Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Some might optimistically imagine that Google is only tracking their internet searches via Google.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
This approach, known as a judgment-bias test, reveals how optimistically or cautiously an animal interprets uncertainty.
—New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optimistically
Adverb
-
Spurs have not won a top-flight game since December and started positively against United.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Some 127 years after its opening, the grande dame of St Moritz continues to draw glamorous guests to its cavernous halls, forever teetering gracefully between Alpine rustic and positively regal.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The long-term agreements incorporate a collaborative funding approach designed to preserve upfront free cash flow, allowing RTX to invest confidently to meet long-term demand.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Across North America and parts of Europe, budgeting and planning tools are increasingly used to support transparency and reduce misunderstandings around costs, helping couples manage expenses more confidently.—
Craig Lebrau,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
So hopefully, after seeing the level of women's freeskiing today, that goal is accomplished.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
9 Feb. 2026
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Plus, when you’re finished, you’ll be left with a healthy-looking succulent and (hopefully) several baby succulents too.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
9 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Tim was a fiercely, cheerfully competitive kid—whether playing board games with his two older sisters or every sport under the sun with his big brothers.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Today, Lamont operates cheerfully as the dominant figure in state politics and government.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Optimistically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optimistically. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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