SANG-gwin

Definition

(adjective) Optimistic or positive, especially in a difficult situation; having a confident and cheerful outlook.

Example

Despite the project being weeks behind schedule, Maya remained sanguine, convinced that the team would pull together and deliver something remarkable.

Word Origin

Sanguine comes from the Latin sanguis, meaning “blood,” and entered English through Old French in the 14th century. It originally referred to one of the four humors of medieval medicine — blood being the humor associated with a cheerful, confident temperament. Someone with a “sanguine” constitution was literally thought to have blood as their dominant bodily fluid, producing an optimistic and rosy disposition.