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 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

The sense of a persistent optimist comes from the name of the protagonist in the book Polly Anna, by Eleanor Porter.

Alternative forms

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

Derived terms

See also

Etymology 3

Noun

Pollyanna (plural Pollyannas)

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