POLLYANNAS Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

Pollyannas

noun

plural of Pollyanna

as in optimists

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for Pollyannas

Noun

Other studies have found that people with a positive mindset are 31% more productive and that optimists outsell their pessimistic peers by 37%.

— Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 22 Sep. 2026
But there are still optimists who point out the potential upside is still vast.

— Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of optimists

Noun

Witty, bitter, flamboyant, and emotionally grounded, the dialogue swings, delightfully, between intimate exchanges and grandiloquent soliloquies, capturing the vulnerability of idealists in the face of evil.

— Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
At its core, Dark Matter is a series about the folly and hubris of humankind, even when — nay, especially when — idealists have the power to achieve transformative change.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of idealists

Noun

The youth of the country, along with some dreamers and fighters, were the ones pushing it forward little by little.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Among its most memorable attractions is a historic railroad that once carried artists and archaeologists, dreamers and scientists, some of whom traveled on the train incognito before participating in the top-secret Manhattan Project.

— Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of dreamers

Noun

The utopians invent paradise and the dystopians invent hell.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
The playwright understood something about the economic reasoning of such an innovation, however, for if the futurists and techno-utopians once imagined that machines would do all of our dreary work to free us to be artists, writers, and musicians, the opposite is now the case.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026

Definition of utopians

Noun

The upcoming Super Bowl will be on Valentine’s Day, meaning this is the one time that the romantics in your life will stop watching men crashing into each other.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2026
Sorry to all the hopeless romantics, but the answer is TAP-DANCED.

— Sean McGowan, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of romantics

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.

Browse Nearby Words

Pollyannaish

Pollyannas

poltergeist

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pollyannas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pollyannas. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of Pollyannas

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

reticent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes