optimist
AmericanOther Word Forms
- antioptimist noun
- overoptimist noun
- superoptimist noun
Etymology
Origin of optimist
First recorded in 1760–70; from French optimiste, from Latin optim(um) ( optimum ) + French -iste -ist
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While accepting the inaugural award for best podcast at last Sunday’s Golden Globes, Amy Poehler — perennial optimist and the mind behind some of contemporary culture’s most feel-good media — made a rare off-color joke.
From Salon • Jan. 16, 2026
A dreamy optimist, he set sail in a rush, hoping for the best.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
An optimist would say the market overreacted and now it’s time to get on with our lives.
From Barron's • Oct. 23, 2025
He describes himself as a “long-term optimist but a short-term pessimist.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025
Nevertheless, I was so starved for association with people that I allowed myself to be seduced by it all, and for a few months I lived the life of an optimist.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
