Pollyanna

See also: pollyanna

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ænə

Etymology 1

Polly +‎ Anna

Alternative forms

• Polly-Anna
• Polly Anna

Proper noun

Pollyanna

1. A female given name from Hebrew derived from Polly and Anna; rare in the real world.
   • 2014 Dot and the Waves, page 10

     Pollyanna Pocket was small, with long floppy ears and a tail that coiled upwards in a little ringlet. She was a bouncy, happy young dog, who frolicked all day

Etymology 2

Wikisource

The sense of a persistent optimist comes from the name of the protagonist in the novel Pollyanna, by Eleanor Porter.

Alternative forms

• pollyanna

Noun

Pollyanna (plural Pollyannas)

1. One who is persistently cheerful and optimistic, even when given cause not to be so.

   You call her an optimist, but I call her an obnoxious Pollyanna.

Translations

a persistently cheerful and optimistic person

• French: Pollyanna
• Greek: Πολυάννα (el) (Polyánna)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Turkish: Polyanna

Derived terms

• Pollyannaish, pollyannaish, Pollyannish, pollyannish

See also

• Panglossian
• quixotic

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

Pollyanna (plural Pollyannas)

1. (colloquial, US, Southeastern Pennsylvania) A secret Santa gift exchange.