Pollyannaish
- adjective
- /ˌpɑːliˈænəɪʃ/
:
Pollyanna
- His Pollyannaish optimism often annoyed his friends, who felt he ignored practical problems.
I'm not, I'm not saying that is like a, you know, Pollyannaish person.
- I'm not, I'm not saying that is like a, you know, Pollyannaish person.
- Well, you know, I, I don't want to seem, you know, too Pollyannaish here, but I think being a physician is a, is one of the greatest things you can do.
Examples
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She had a sweet, hokey, enablely sort of Pollyannaish belief in love, marriage and baby carriages, and no significantly discernible work history.
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I Maybe I'm Pollyannaish, Michael, but like maybe somebody in the media would mention that.
-
I'm not, I'm not saying that is like a, you know, Pollyannaish person.
-
Well, you know, I, I don't want to seem, you know, too Pollyannaish here, but I think being a physician is a, is one of the greatest things you can do.
-
Well, you know, I, I don't want to seem, you know, too Pollyannaish here, but I think being a physician is a, is one of the greatest things you can do.
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Despite the challenges ahead, she maintained a Pollyannaish view, believing that everything would work out perfectly.
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While some were realistic about the difficulties, she remained Pollyannaish, convinced that everything would turn out for the best.
Synonyms
426
3.2
Expecting good things to happen in the future
189
1.8
Feeling positive and expecting a good result
111
1.0
Happy in a way you show with a smile or friendly actions
99
3.8
Feeling cheerful and hopeful, sometimes too positive for the situation
26
3.2
Expecting good things in the future
14
4.2
Having a positive, hopeful attitude about the future
12
6.1
A person who is cheerful and does not worry about future problems
10
7.4
Cheerful and hopeful in a difficult situation
6
6.9
Being too hopeful and not seeing real problems
3
5.8
Seeing the good side of things
2
5.6
A view that is too hopeful and ignores problems
1
5.1
Expecting only very good results that are unlikely to happen
1
9.9
Very optimistic in a way that ignores real problems
1
9.9
Smiling brightly because you feel happy
Being very hopeful even when things seem bad
Antonyms
Compounds
How Optimistic
Surface Forms
Morphology
Pollyannaish = Pollyanna (opaque) = Pollyanna + ish
The word derives from a proper noun, Pollyanna, making it opaque to those unfamiliar with the literary reference.
Etymology
Pollyannaish comes from the name Pollyanna, a girl in a story who always looked for the good in everything, plus the ending -ish, which means 'like'. So, to be Pollyannaish is to be 'like Pollyanna' — very hopeful and sometimes unrealistically positive.