optimist

noun

Definition of optimistnext
as in dreamer
a person who usually expects good things to happen You have to be a bit of an optimist to start a business. Somehow he remained an optimist despite all that had happened to him.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of optimist My favourite part of this exercise is seeing the distribution of optimists and pessimists. — Janson Duench, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 To the optimist, there was just enough out there to nourish hope. — Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 YouTube | Overcast | Pocket Casts Bill Gates has generally been an AI optimist. — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 The rewards Gates, ever the optimist, also outlines some major boons the technology holds. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for optimist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optimist
dreamer
Noun
  • Michele, who portrayed ambitious dreamer Rachel Berry for the entirety of the original series’ run, is reportedly set to return for the reboot.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The beautiful, sullen boy was an energetic dreamer who often longed for his mother.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of dreamer

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Cite this Entry

“Optimist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optimist. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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