Pollyanna
- an excessively or blindly optimistic person.
- (often lowercase) Also Pol·ly·an·na·ish. unreasonably or illogically optimistic: some pollyanna notions about world peace.
Origin of Pollyanna
Examples from the Web for pollyanna
Historical Examples of pollyanna
"Pollyanna" gives a better appreciation of people and the world.
The Ghost BreakerPaul Dickey
He looked like Pollyanna, after eight or ten shots at the middleweight title.
Occasion for DisasterGordon Randall Garrett
All this Pollyanna frou-frou is all right as frosting—but you've left out the cake!
TelempathyVance Simonds
Pollyanna died and, of course, she was glad and went to Heaven.
Seeing Things at NightHeywood Broun
It is a fine thing to read a story like Pollyanna and get all excited over it.
The Children's Six MinutesBruce S. Wright
Pollyanna
- a person who is constantly or excessively optimistic
Word Origin for Pollyanna
Word Origin and History for pollyanna
Pollyanna
"one who finds cause for gladness in the most difficult situations," 1921, a reference to Pollyanna Whittier, child heroine of U.S. novelist Eleanor Hodgman Porter's "Pollyanna" (1913) and "Pollyanna Grows Up" (1915), who was noted for keeping her chin up during disasters.
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.