pollyanna

Speech parts

1. pollyanna - Noun

2. Pollyanna - Proper noun

Meaning

Pollyanna

A female given name from Hebrew derived from Polly and Anna; rare in the real world.

Pollyanna (plural Pollyannas)

One who is persistently cheerful and optimistic, even when given cause not to be so.
You call her an optimist, but I call her an obnoxious Pollyanna.

Pollyanna (plural Pollyannas)

(colloquial, US, Southeastern Pennsylvania) A secret Santa gift exchange.

pollyanna (plural pollyannas)

Alternative form of Pollyanna

Synonyms

Examples

The price we pay for the anticipation of our future is anxiety about it. Foretelling disaster is probably not much fun; Pollyanna was much happier than Cassandra. But the Cassandric components of our nature are necessary for survival. Carl Sagan

Now don't you dare call me normal. I was never a Pollyanna. There was always a lot of Theodora in me. Irene Dunne

I suffer from a genetic flaw, which is that my mother was a hopeless Pollyanna. Bill Ayers

My relationship with 'Pollyanna' is a very personal one, because Pollyanna got me through my childhood. Eleanor H. Porter

I remember being about eight and watching 'Pollyanna' with Hayley Mills. I looked at my mum and said, 'Mum, I want to be Pollyanna.' She said, 'You're going to have to make yourself cry if you want to be an actress.' So I turned my head away, and when I turned it back I was in floods of tears. Laura Haddock

I am not an idiot, and I'm not a Pollyanna sort of kumbaya type. Dan Savage

Close letter words and terms