Micawberly

comparative more Micawberly · superlative most Micawberly

1. in an upbeat and optimistic way, in the face of seemingly hopeless circumstances

   Covenant doggedly searches for a way out of his predicament and vows to keep moving in the hopes that, macabrely (as opposed to Micawberly) put, something will turn up.

   1995, William A. Senior, Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Variations on the Fantasy Tradition, Kent State University Press, page 176

   2 more examples

   […] not growing a single spiritual inch, for putting forth his powers as a man should; just amiably Micawbering along, and most Micawberly devoted to somebody he would like well enough to marry when the times comes and things "turn up;" […]

   1872, Adeline Dutton Train Whitney, Sights and Insights: Patience Strong's Story of Over the Way, volume 1, J.R. Osgood & Company, published 1876, page 151

   The marriage of Grand Duke Alexis in his proper station in life is indefinitely postponed, and Count Shouvalod and his imperial master must wait, Micawberly, for something to turn up.

   1875 January 31, “Grand Duke Alexis”, in Galveston Daily News, archived from the original on 05 Mar 2016, page 1, column 2 (bottom)