optimist

1 of 2

noun (1)

op·​ti·​mist ˈäp-tə-mist 

: 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

2 of 2

noun (2)

Op·​ti·​mist ˈäp-tə-mist 

: a member of a major international service club

Examples of optimist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The pair took the hotel into a second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1989, which Crawford, ever the optimist, referred to as a Chapter 22, Isenberg said. —Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2025

Van der Lugt thinks the pessimist’s is more motivating and sees a danger in the optimist’s, because if things look so generally bright, why should anyone get off the couch? —Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025

But the optimist thinks this is Google’s ambient computing vision coming alive. —Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 18 Jan. 2025

Phaedra, ever the optimist, reassures her that this group is like family, and even through the mess, sisterhood is still within reach. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

optim(ism) + -ist entry 1, probably after French optimiste

Noun (2)

Optimist (Club)

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1759, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1911, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

optimist

noun

op·​ti·​mist

ˈäp-tə-məst

: an optimistic person