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.

Origin of Pollyanna

1
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

Other words from Pollyanna

  • Pol·ly·an·na·ism, noun

Words Nearby Pollyanna

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Pollyanna in a sentence

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

    My Brush With Obama's Top Spook | Christopher Buckley | November 29, 2008 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • And she turned away—Miss Polly's arrangements for the comfort of her niece, Pollyanna, were complete.

    Pollyanna | Eleanor H. Porter
  • Pollyanna, standing at the bureau, gazed a little wistfully at the bare wall above.

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

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

    Pollyanna | Eleanor H. Porter
  • Pollyanna had made a wonderful discovery—against this window a huge tree flung great branches.

    Pollyanna | Eleanor H. Porter

British Dictionary definitions for Pollyanna

Pollyanna

/ (ˌpɒlɪˈænə) /


noun
  1. a person who is constantly or excessively optimistic

Origin of Pollyanna

1
C20: after the chief character in Pollyanna (1913), a novel by Eleanor Porter (1868–1920), US writer

Derived forms of Pollyanna

  • Pollyannaish, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Pollyanna

Pollyanna

(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.

Notes for Pollyanna

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

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.