Standard Lemma guide

Pollyanna

name · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌpɒliˈænə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ænə
  • CMU ARPABET: P AA2 L IY0 AE1 N AH0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A female given name from Hebrew derived from Polly and Anna; rare in the real world.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A secret Santa gift exchange.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Mid-Atlantic, Pennsylvania, Southeastern, US, colloquial

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Alternative form of Pollyanna.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Polly + Anna.

From the name of the protagonist in the 1913 novel Pollyanna, by Eleanor Porter.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: optimistaĉo — a persistently cheerful and optimistic person
  • French: Pollyanna — a persistently cheerful and optimistic person
  • Greek: Πολυάννα (Polyánna) — a persistently cheerful and optimistic person
  • Turkish: Polyanna — a persistently cheerful and optimistic person