Pollyanna

noun

Pol·​ly·​an·​na ˌpä-lē-ˈa-nə How to pronounce Pollyanna (audio)
Synonyms of Pollyannanext
: a person characterized by irrepressible optimism and a tendency to find good in everything
Pollyanna adjective
Pollyannaish
ˌpä-lē-ˈa-nə-ish How to pronounce Pollyanna (audio)
adjective
or less commonly Pollyannish
ˌpä-lē-ˈa-nish How to pronounce Pollyanna (audio)

Examples of Pollyanna in a Sentence

I'm no Pollyanna, but I do think some good will come out of this.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Burke was previously married to actress Pollyanna Rose, per the Los Angeles Times. — Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025 Where to watch World Beyond: AMC+ 05 of 07 The Ones Who Live (2024–present) The newest direct sequel to the parent show, The Ones Who Live brings back Rick and Michonne, not to mention Pollyanna McIntosh’s CRM agent Jadis (née Anne), previously seen whisking Grimes away. — Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Pollyanna, heroine of the novel Pollyanna (1913) by Eleanor Porter †1920 American fiction writer

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Pollyanna was in 1921

Rhymes for Pollyanna

See All Rhymes for Pollyanna

Browse Nearby Words

polly
Pollyanna
Pollyannaism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pollyanna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pollyanna. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All