Pollyanna
/pɒlɪˈanə
/noun
An excessively cheerful or optimistic person: what I am saying makes me sound like some ageing Pollyanna who just wants to pretend that all is sweetness and light...
- The rallying dollar, sinking crude, and surging financial stocks do today create a rather inspiring backdrop for the optimists and Pollyannas.
- Does this mean that we all should be brainless Pollyannas, cheerfully accepting whatever comes down the line?
- Those whose cup is half full are the world's optimists, the Pollyannas and the kind of people to be avoided at all costs, particularly at parties.
Derivatives
Pollyannaish
- As you can see from my summation, this is an optimistic work, but thanks to focused direction by Bridget Ryan and a measured, intelligent, and believable script, this production manages to be upbeat without being Pollyannaish or maudlin.
- Does this mean that active learning is, as Mattson characterizes it, an idealistic sham perpetuated by Pollyannaish administrators and workshop facilitators?
- It may seem Pollyannaish to find anything positive about the current political landscape, but this could be seen as a moment of opportunity for progressives.
Pollyannaism
- And I know my pollyannaism is rampant but, I think life is almost this perfect.
- In short, people who display a tendency to Pollyannaism believe their own hype.
Origin
Early 20th century: the name of the optimistic heroine created by Eleanor Hodgman Porter (1868–1920), American author of children's stories.