Pollyanna
Americannoun
adjective
noun
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A “Pollyanna” remains excessively sweet-tempered and optimistic even in adversity.
Other Word Forms
- Pollyannaish adjective
- Pollyannaism noun
Etymology
Origin of Pollyanna
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
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.
Life doesn’t screech to a halt after a Pollyanna rom-com ending, just like love isn’t cast in amber, destined to be preserved forever.
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2025
If it seems like Roberts is too Pollyanna, well, for some players, it works.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024
My inner Pollyanna prevailed, and I reasoned for a moment that the end of enmity between the two men was not only possible but also would be good for the country.
From Washington Post • Apr. 7, 2023
But this is not going to be a Pollyanna experience where at the end of it you’re going to feel that justice was served in this simple way.
From Slate • Jan. 14, 2023
A Little Princess and Pollyanna, let me tell you, they are selling you a pack of ugly lies.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
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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.