Pollyanna
noun
Pol·ly·an·na
ˌpä-lē-ˈa-nə 
: a person characterized by irrepressible optimism and a tendency to find good in everything
Pollyanna
adjective
Examples of Pollyanna in a Sentence
I'm no Pollyanna, but I do think some good will come out of this.
Recent Examples on the Web
The politics of Pollyanna, brought to you by the things-have-never-been-better crowd.
—
Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024
Pope and Sarah go into catacombs beneath an old church in search of the treasure, but are forced to hide among the rats when Lightner (Rigo Sanchez) and his boss Dalia (Pollyanna McIntosh) show up and grab a mysterious scroll that is most likely a map.
—Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Oct. 2024
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
Opinion: As more workers exit downtown, Louisville Mayor Greenberg needs to deal with realty and chuck his Pollyanna perspective, our Joe Gerth says in his latest column.
—Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 11 Feb. 2024
My natural state has always been one of optimism, almost to the point of being a Pollyanna.
—Ellyn Laub, sun-sentinel.com, 30 Sep. 2021
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.
Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024
Pope and Sarah go into catacombs beneath an old church in search of the treasure, but are forced to hide among the rats when Lightner (Rigo Sanchez) and his boss Dalia (Pollyanna McIntosh) show up and grab a mysterious scroll that is most likely a map.
—Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Oct. 2024
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
Opinion: As more workers exit downtown, Louisville Mayor Greenberg needs to deal with realty and chuck his Pollyanna perspective, our Joe Gerth says in his latest column.
—Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 11 Feb. 2024
My natural state has always been one of optimism, almost to the point of being a Pollyanna.
—Ellyn Laub, sun-sentinel.com, 30 Sep. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near Pollyanna
Cite this Entry
“Pollyanna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pollyanna. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share