optimist

American  

[op-tuh-mist] / ˈɒp tə mɪst /

noun

• optimists
  plural

1. an optimistic person.

2. a person who holds the belief or the doctrine of optimism.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antioptimist
  noun
• overoptimist
  noun
• superoptimist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• optimists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of optimist

First recorded in 1760–70; from French optimiste, from Latin optim(um) ( see optimum) + French -iste -ist

Explanation

An optimist is someone who always sees the bright side of any situation — a trait that can be either encouraging or annoying, depending on your frame of mind. Winston Churchill once said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” When you think about the problems in the world, it might sometimes be difficult to remain an optimist. Yet some people just naturally look for the silver lining, like Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh stories who, when admitting that it's still snowing and freezing, remarks, "However, we haven't had an earthquake lately." Now that's an optimist!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

optimist optimists

Though some might think of Wile E. as a villain just trying to kill and eat the Roadrunner, Green considers him an eternal optimist.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

But what type of fan are you - a die-hard enthusiast analysing all the tactics, a bag of nerves who watches from behind the sofa or an eternal optimist happy to go with the flow?

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

Ever the optimist, Byford touts the quality of Chakrabarti’s design and Cipriano’s financial plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

But the eternal optimist said he draws strength from the example set by Glover: "He's a natural American hero, in my opinion."

From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026

I asked her, “Are you an optimist or a pessimist?”

From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer

Hopefully, I don’t sound as naive as those early internet optimists, who thought new shifts would usher in a golden age of humanity.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

"Tearing our hair out and burying ourselves in the ground -- that's not our way. We are optimists," Vadym, who declined to give his surname, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

"At least we'll get a fee," some optimists might have thought.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

The optimists, looking ahead to a peace deal, can expect the Treasury market to refocus on other drivers once the war ends, like the Fed.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

The short answer to that second question was: the optimists.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• dreamer
• idealist