optimist
gb/ˈɑptɪmɪst/ us/ˈɑptɪmɪst/
B2
English
optimista
NOUN
B2
1
optimista
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is an optimist
She’s an optimist, so she believes the team can still win.
Ő optimista, ezért hisz benne, hogy a csapat még nyerhet.
Even after the setback, he stayed an optimist about the future.
Még a visszaesés után is optimista maradt a jövőt illetően.
I’m not an optimist, but I do think things will improve.
Learner examples
My sister is an optimist.
A nővérem optimista.
He is an optimist about the future.
Ő optimista a jövőt illetően.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse optimist (person) with optimistic (adjective) or optimism (noun).
Meaning
person who expects good outcomes
Collocations
an optimist by nature
|a natural optimist
|a lifelong optimist
|an eternal optimist
|an incurable optimist
|a cautious optimist
|the optimist in me
|remain an optimist
|be an optimist about [something]
|a realist and an optimist
Synonyms
positive thinker (Emphasizes a habit of thinking positively.)
|
hopeful person (Focuses more on hope than on general positivity.)
Antonyms
pessimist (A person who expects bad outcomes.)
Themes
emotions
|personality
|daily_life
Definition
Someone who usually thinks things will be good.
A person who usually expects good things to happen and tends to see situations in a positive way.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
2
optimista
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is an optimist about [the world/life]
As an optimist, she argued that human progress is inevitable.
Optimistaként azzal érvelt, hogy az emberi haladás elkerülhetetlen.
The essay contrasts the optimist’s worldview with the pessimist’s.
Az esszé az optimista világnézetét állítja szembe a pesszimistáéval.
He was an optimist about human nature, despite the evidence he discussed.
Meaning
supporter of optimism philosophy
Collocations
a philosophical optimist
|an optimist in the Enlightenment sense
|optimists and pessimists
|an optimist about human nature
Synonyms
believer in optimism (States the philosophical stance explicitly.)
Antonyms
philosophical pessimist (Believes the world is fundamentally bad or worsening.)
Themes
philosophy
|beliefs
Definition
Someone who believes the world is basically good.
A person who holds the philosophical view that reality is ultimately good or that the world tends toward the best possible outcome.
Grammar
Dictionary form
optimist
IPA
GB/ˈɑptɪmɪst/
US/ˈɑptɪmɪst/
Syllables & stress
op - tim - ist (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (op)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: optimist
- Plural: optimists
Word family
Forms
optimists
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
overoptimistic
adjective
Expressions
a born optimist
1/ə bˈɔɹn ˈɑptɪmɪst/
fixed phrase
naturally optimistic person
Someone who is naturally optimistic.
Examples
- She’s a born optimist—she gets excited about every new idea.
- He’s not a born optimist, but he tries to stay positive.
- As a born optimist, he assumed the delay would be short.
Learner examples
- She is a born optimist.
cautious optimist
1/kˈɔʃəs ˈɑptɪmɪst/
fixed phrase
positive but careful
Someone who is hopeful but careful.
Examples
- I’m a cautious optimist about the new plan, but we need more data.
- The coach was a cautious optimist after the team’s first practice.
- She described herself as a cautious optimist, not a blind believer.
Learner examples
- I am a cautious optimist about the exam.
eternal optimist
1/ɪtˈɚnəl ˈɑptɪmɪst/
fixed phrase
always positive person
Someone who is always optimistic.
Examples
- She’s an eternal optimist—she can find something good in any situation.
- As an eternal optimist, he thinks the project will work out somehow.
- Don’t worry; our eternal optimist will have a plan.
Learner examples
- My dad is an eternal optimist.
glass-half-full optimist
1/ɡlˈæs hˈæf fˈʊl ˈɑptɪmɪst/
fixed phrase
sees positives in situations
Someone who sees the good side of things.
Examples
- As a glass-half-full optimist, she treated the mistake as a chance to learn.
- He’s a glass-half-full optimist, so he sees the slow start as progress.
- I’m trying to be a glass-half-full optimist about the changes.
Learner examples
- He is a glass-half-full optimist.
incurable optimist
1/ɪŋkjˈʊɹəbəl ˈɑptɪmɪst/
fixed phrase
cannot stop being optimistic
Someone who is always optimistic, even when it is hard.
Examples
- He’s an incurable optimist—he thinks every interview will lead to a job offer.
- Call me an incurable optimist, but I still believe we can fix it.
- She laughed and said she was an incurable optimist.
Learner examples
- I am an incurable optimist.
the optimist in me
1/ðə ˈɑptɪmɪst ˈɪn mˈi/
fixed phrase
my hopeful side
The part of me that feels hopeful.
Examples
- The optimist in me says we’ll finish on time, but I’m not sure.
- The optimist in me wants to believe the meeting will go well.
- The optimist in me thinks they’ll call back today.
Learner examples
- The optimist in me thinks it will be OK.