Pollyanna

noun Pol·ly·an·na \ˌpä-lē-ˈa-nə\

: someone who thinks good things will always happen and finds something good in everything

Full Definition of POLLYANNA

: a person characterized by irrepressible optimism and a tendency to find good in everything

— Pollyanna adjective

— Pol·ly·an·na·ish \-ˈa-nə-ish\ also Pol·ly·an·nish \-ˈa-nish\ adjective

See Pollyanna defined for English-language learners

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

First Known Use: 1921

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