First Known Use: 1921
Dictionary
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
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Origin of POLLYANNA
Pollyanna, heroine of the novel Pollyanna (1913) by Eleanor Porter †1920 American fiction writer
Rhymes with POLLYANNA
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