overoptimism

noun

over·op·ti·mism ˌō-vər-ˈäp-tə-ˌmi-zəm

: an excessive or unrealistic degree of optimism

… folks tend toward overoptimism about their prospects and their skills.—

Bill Alpert

overoptimistic

ˌō-vər-ˌäp-tə-ˈmi-stik

adjective

overoptimistic projections for the future

overoptimistically

ˌō-vər-ˌäp-tə-ˈmi-sti-k(ə-)lē

adverb

Wilma values her car at $10,000 and overoptimistically thinks she can sell it for $20,000, which is more than anyone will actually pay. —

Sanford Ikeda

Examples of overoptimism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Anything that is tradable and has had a dramatic rise in price can produce overoptimism and popularity. —

John S. Tobey, Forbes, 27 Apr. 2021 If anticipating great joy after finishing a presentation inspires you to power through it, your overoptimism might be a positive influence. —

Elizabeth Svoboda, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2020