hopeful

1 of 2

adjective

hope·​ful ˈhōp-fəl 

1

: having qualities which inspire hope

hopeful signs of economic recovery

2

: full of hope : inclined to hope

hopefulness noun

hopeful

2 of 2

noun

: aspirant

Olympic hopefuls

Synonyms of hopeful

Adjective

• promising
• optimistic
• bright

Noun

• candidate
• contender
• expectant

Examples of hopeful in a Sentence

Adjective

The mood is sad rather than hopeful.

He was hopeful that things would get better soon.

I still feel hopeful about the future.

She is hopeful of winning the race.

a hopeful tone of voice

There are hopeful signs that the crisis may end soon.

The movie has a hopeful ending.

Investigators report that there have been some hopeful developments in the case.

Noun

the three mayoral hopefuls are going to debate on local TV

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

One Night Only is probably trying to be hopeful and sweet in its suggestion that love can make any nightmarish circumstances tolerable. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026

The music video itself is very colorful, bright, and hopeful. — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Noun

The list of hopefuls includes longtime insiders of Chicago politics as well as newcomers to the scene. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

There was similar notable (if not massive) movement for a couple NL Central hopefuls who made deadline deals, with the Milwaukee Brewers moving from +1000 to +900 and the Chicago Cubs from +1600 to +1500. — J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1720, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hopeful

1 of 2 adjective

hope·​ful ˈhōp-fəl 

1

: having qualities which inspire hope

2

: full of or inclined to hope

hopefulness noun

hopeful

2 of 2 noun

: a person who has hopes or is considered promising