Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for Pollyanna

Pollyanna

[ pol-ee-an-uh ]

noun

  1. an excessively or blindly optimistic person.


adjective

  1. (often lowercase) Also Polly·anna·ish. unreasonably or illogically optimistic:

    some pollyanna notions about world peace.

Pollyanna

/ ˌpɒlɪˈænə /

noun

  1. a person who is constantly or excessively optimistic


Pollyanna

  1. (1913) A children's book by the American author Eleanor H. Porter. The title character is an orphan girl who, despite the difficulties of her life, is always extremely cheerful.


Discover More

Notes

A “Pollyanna” remains excessively sweet-tempered and optimistic even in adversity.

Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˌPollyˈannaish, adjective

Discover More

Other Words From

  • Polly·anna·ism noun

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pollyanna1

First recorded in 1910–15; from the name of the child heroine in the novel Pollyanna (1913), written by Eleanor Hodgman Porter (1868–1920), American writer

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pollyanna1

C20: after the chief character in Pollyanna (1913), a novel by Eleanor Porter (1868–1920), US writer

Discover More

Example Sentences

A couple of years at the White House would turn Pollyanna into Machiavelli.

And she turned away—Miss Polly's arrangements for the comfort of her niece, Pollyanna, were complete.

Pollyanna, standing at the bureau, gazed a little wistfully at the bare wall above.

At one of the windows, a few minutes later, Pollyanna gave a glad cry and clapped her hands joyously.

The next moment the window was wide open, and Pollyanna was leaning far out, drinking in the fresh, sweet air.

Pollyanna had made a wonderful discovery—against this window a huge tree flung great branches.

Advertisement

Word of the Day

petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


pollypollyfish