optimist
noun (1)
op·ti·mist
| \ ˈäp-tə-mist
\
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Definition of optimist
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a person who is inclined to be hopeful and to expect good outcomes : someone who is given to optimism
The optimists have faith that no matter how avaricious the age, literature will endure.— Michael Norman
Optimist
noun (2)
Op·ti·mist
| \ ˈäp-tə-mist
\
\
Definition of Optimist (Entry 2 of 2)
: a member of a major international service club
Examples of optimist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
There are nice optimist anthems, like the title track. — John Adamian, courant.com, "Maren Morris, mixing pop and soul with her country, performing at the Oakdale," 30 Aug. 2019 In the scale of the Chernobyl horror, an optimist might see an American moment often described in apocalyptic terms as relatively benign: our children have not (yet) been made to breathe radio-active air. — Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, "HBO’s masterful ‘Chernobyl’ is about something even bigger than the catastrophe — the truth," 22 Aug. 2019 The optimist in me sees Lil Nas X as an example of mainstream acceptance. — Los Angeles Times, "Lil Nas X came out, but has hip-hop? A macho culture faces a crossroads," 31 July 2019 With his easygoing attitude, Phillip Molnar is the kind of person who strikes people as an optimist. — Alexander Oleksyn, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Business, real estate reporter is always positive," 16 July 2019 Even optimists like Oelofse are aware of the difficulties ahead in the Chinese market. — Laurel Chor, Quartz, "Western hunting outfitters think China is the future of the market," 8 July 2019 Linda Coleman-Madison is enough of an optimist to have served 12 years in the state Senate as a Democrat. — Karen Heller, Washington Post, "The battle for Alabama’s soul," 1 July 2019 Whitehead saw himself in the disparate views of Elwood, an optimist who treats Martin Luther King Jr.’s words as gospel, and Turner, a cynic who evokes a rage and disillusionment that will resonate with many readers. — Mitchell S. Jackson, Time, "'I Carry It Within Me.' Novelist Colson Whitehead Reminds Us How America's Racist History Lives On," 27 June 2019 Some may dismiss this idea as the ranting of two hopeless optimists (although parts 1-3 tend to rebut this). — Rob Reid, Ars Technica, "Ars on your lunch break: There’s hope, and we’ll all be fine… probably," 20 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'optimist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for optimist
optimist
noun
English Language Learners Definition of optimist
: a person who usually expects good things to happen
See the full definition for optimist in the English Language Learners Dictionary
optimist
noun
op·ti·mist
| \ ˈäp-tə-məst\
Kids Definition of optimist
: a person who habitually expects good things to happen
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