Pollyannaish belief
- noun
- /ˌpɑːliˈænəɪʃ bɪˈliːf/
:
creencia Pollyanna
- Despite the setbacks, she clung to her Pollyannaish belief that success was inevitable.
Examples
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Some critics argue that a Pollyannaish belief in technology ignores potential risks.
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His Pollyannaish belief in people's goodness sometimes left him disappointed.
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Her constant Pollyannaish belief in the goodness of people is inspiring.
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Many critics argue that his Pollyannaish beliefs can lead to disappointment.
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Despite facing many challenges, she maintained her Pollyannaish belief that everything would turn out well in the end.
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His unwavering Pollyannaish belief that no one has bad intentions often made him naive in difficult situations.
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Some people criticize her Pollyannaish belief that all problems will eventually resolve themselves without action.
Synonyms
45
4.1
Believing something you want will happen even though it is unlikely
5
5.1
A way of seeing things as better than they are and ignoring problems
1
8.1
A feeling of happiness based on wrong hopes that will not last
1
4.8
A forecast that is too hopeful about how things will turn out
Unrealistic hope despite clear signs it will not happen
An overly optimistic view that ignores real problems
An overly optimistic view that ignores real problems
An overly hopeful way of dealing with problems that ignores bad signs
An overly optimistic view that ignores real problems
Being too positive and ignoring real problems
An overly optimistic view that ignores problems
A view that is too positive and ignores problems
An optimistic view of the future that is often unrealistic
Seeing things in a very positive way that ignores problems
A strong, lasting belief that things will get better even in hard times
Expecting only good results and ignoring risks
Antonyms
208
6.5
Not trusting people to have good intentions and expecting them to act for themselves
How Optimistic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a regular adjective + noun composition: 'Pollyannaish' (excessively optimistic) combined with 'belief' (a conviction) yields the meaning 'an unrealistically optimistic conviction' directly. The only caveat is that 'Pollyannaish' relies on a literary/cultural reference (Pollyanna), so learners unfamiliar with that name might not know the adjective; given knowledge of both constituents, however, the MWE is transparently compositional.
Etymology
Pollyannaish belief comes from Pollyanna, a cheerful girl in an old book who always played the 'glad game' and looked for something good in every situation. So, 'Pollyannaish belief' now means being 'too optimistic' and ignoring real problems.