overoptimist
Definition
- Noun:
- A person who is excessively or unreasonably optimistic; someone who expects the best possible outcome even when evidence suggests otherwise.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Despite the company's financial troubles, Mark remained an overoptimist, believing they would double their profits next quarter. (A person with unrealistic positive expectations.)
- She is such an overoptimist that she plans a picnic every weekend, even during the rainy season. (Someone who ignores likely negative conditions.)
Advanced Usage
"to be an overoptimist about something": to hold excessively positive views on a specific matter.
- He is an overoptimist about his chances of winning the lottery without buying a ticket. (He has an unrealistic belief in luck.)
"the overoptimist's fallacy": a cognitive bias where one underestimates risks and overestimates positive outcomes.
- The overoptimist's fallacy led the team to launch the product without proper testing. (A flawed reasoning pattern.)
Variants and Related Words
Overoptimistic (adj): characterized by excessive optimism.
- Her overoptimistic forecast ignored several market risks. (Unrealistically positive.)
Overoptimism (n): the state or quality of being excessively optimistic.
- The project failed due to the founder's overoptimism about customer demand. (Unrealistic hopefulness.)
Synonyms
- Pollyanna: a person who is excessively cheerful and optimistic, often ignoring reality.
- Idealist: someone who believes in perfect outcomes, sometimes unrealistically.
- Dreamer: a person who has unrealistic or impractical hopes.
Related Idioms
To wear rose-colored glasses: to see things in an overly positive or optimistic way.
- As an overoptimist, she always wears rose-colored glasses about her investments. (She ignores negative aspects.)
To have one's head in the clouds: to be out of touch with reality due to unrealistic hopes.
- The overoptimist had his head in the clouds, thinking the exam would be easy without studying. (He was not grounded in reality.)