Definitions

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  • adjective Alternative form of Pollyannaish.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective pleasantly (even unrealistically) optimistic

Etymologies

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Examples

  • In my usual burst of optimism, and at the risk of being termed pollyannaish (optimistic), I will bet against the nay-sayers, says From getting a birth certificate to opening a business venture, India's record in clearing red tape continues to be poor, hurting the country's progress.

    Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Views' 2009

  • Far from wanting to create a pollyannaish culture of "Can't we all just get along?" it's my hope that we can thoughtfully engage in building a greater understanding of this broad community called, "Christian."

    Bruce Reyes-Chow: You Might Be A Christian If... Bruce Reyes-Chow 2011

  • Far from wanting to create a pollyannaish culture of "Can't we all just get along?" it's my hope that we can thoughtfully engage in building a greater understanding of this broad community called, "Christian."

    Bruce Reyes-Chow: You Might Be A Christian If... Bruce Reyes-Chow 2011

  • Call me pollyannaish, but perhaps one day we'll have no need for guys like Davis.

    The Attack Ads John McCain Never Ran - Swampland - TIME.com 2008

  • I find the rhetoric about "career change" to be a bit pollyannaish.

    Credentialism Trap?, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009

  • I am not pollyannaish about what government DOES do.

    Friedman's Law, David Henderson | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009

  • The Charter thus also punctures the pollyannaish vision of the restored Chinese Nationalist Party Kuomintang government of President Ma Ying-jeou that rapid integration through "deregulation" with the PRC economy and slavish appeasement with the CCP regime will lead to "peace and prosperity" for Taiwan.

    Taiwan News on Charter 08 in China Michael Turton 2008

  • The Charter thus also punctures the pollyannaish vision of the restored Chinese Nationalist Party Kuomintang government of President Ma Ying-jeou that rapid integration through "deregulation" with the PRC economy and slavish appeasement with the CCP regime will lead to "peace and prosperity" for Taiwan.

    Archive 2008-12-01 Michael Turton 2008

  • Added to the mix is American advertiser and graphic designer Harvey Ball, who claims to have designed a smiley logo before Loufrani and set up the slightly pollyannaish World Smile Foundation to "improve this world, one smile at a time" before his death in 2001.

    Archive 2006-05-01 Jonathan 2006

  • If you don't think that the Democrats are going to spend the next two years blaming the GOP for everything that is wrong, was wrong, could be wrong and will be wrong, with all due respect, that's pollyannaish at best and rationalization at worst.

    "Beyond dirty campaigning... to something truly dishonorable." Ann Althouse 2008

Comments

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  • (smiles)

    January 10, 2009