hopeful

adjective

hope·ful | \ ˈhōp-fəl

Definition of hopeful

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : having qualities which inspire hope hopeful signs of economic recovery

2 : full of hope : inclined to hope

hopeful

noun

Definition of hopeful (Entry 2 of 2)

: aspirant Olympic hopefuls

Other Words from hopeful Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hopeful

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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

As Trump's approval ratings have ticked upward nationally, Republicans have grown more hopeful about maintaining their edge in November, even here in the heart of the resistance. — Maeve Reston, CNN, "How a surge of progressive energy could backfire on Democrats in California," 31 May 2018 Malik Monk played some point guard in the season’s last handful of games, but to say there’s a large enough sample size from that to cement Monk as Walker’s backup would be more hopeful than accurate. — Rick Bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Charlotte Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak on trades, needs and draft challenges," 19 June 2018 Although my dad is always very hopeful that the pregnancies are true. — Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, "Mila Kunis gets real about tabloid pregnancy rumors in her 'Cosmopolitan' cover issue," 3 July 2018 Although my dad is always very hopeful that the pregnancies are true. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, "Mila Kunis Says Tabloid Gossip Causes 'Stress' on Her Family 'Nobody Will Understand'," 2 July 2018 However, after waiting this long, fans can at least remain hopeful that the wait for a release date shouldn't last much longer. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "Everything We Know About "The Princess Diaries 3"," 6 Feb. 2019 But like the humans, Vulcans, and (eventually) Klingons that fill Starfleet ranks, fans must remain hopeful. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "Harlan Ellison Turned Star Trek Into Something More. Could It Happen Again?," 29 June 2018 Jesse Ricketson remains hopeful that his father will be acquitted once the trial gets underway. — Eli Meixler / Phnom Penh, Time, "Cambodia Is Putting an Australian Filmmaker on Trial for Espionage. His Family Says He's Innocent," 15 June 2018 So while this spending spree may not continue, Barclays economists remain hopeful, projecting the economy will expand at 3.5% in 2018, up from an earlier forecast of 3%, according to CNN. — Brittany Shoot, Fortune, "Consumers Are Spending Like Crazy Again. Here's Why," 14 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Within days of Adam's audition being aired to the world, Queen's lead guitarist, Brian May, saw the Idol hopeful's performance via social media. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "The Untold Story of 'American Idol' Star Adam Lambert's Queen Audition 10 Years Ago," 29 Apr. 2019 Democratic presidential hopefuls are calibrating how to respond to special counsel Robert Mueller’s report amid concerns the issue could backfire with swing voters and drown out their broader agendas. ... — Ken Thomas, WSJ, "Democrats Diverge in How to Respond to Mueller’s Report," 21 Apr. 2019 The importance of how differently candidates can come off in real life versus on TV explains in part why presidential hopefuls flock to Iowa and New Hampshire. — Celeste Katz, Glamour, "How did ‘likability’ become a thing for women in politics?," 18 Jan. 2019 Their reconciliation comes at a time when both their relations have become tense with foreign minister, Gibran Bassil, another presidential hopeful who heads the Free Patriotic Movement founded by President Michel Aoun. — Bassem Mroue, The Seattle Times, "Lebanese civil war rivals end decades of hostility," 14 Nov. 2018 But in Iowa, presidential hopefuls have been slow to show. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Trump scores on his own goal," 16 July 2018 There might be a heavy favorite or two among hopefuls for tonight’s Tony Awards, the annual Broadway theater honors. — James Hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Look for a more toned-down Tony Awards tonight, as Broadway celebrates year's best," 10 June 2018 Among the hopefuls was a coalition of Bay Area cities — Concord, Fremont, Oakland, Richmond and San Francisco — who submitted a joint bid in October. — Trisha Thadani, San Francisco Chronicle, "Silicon Valley doesn’t make cut for Amazon’s second headquarters," 18 Jan. 2018 Not every candidate or potential hopeful is taking the address-it-head-on approach. — Ken Thomas, WSJ, "Democratic Presidential Candidates Roll Dice on Confronting Criticism of Their Pasts," 23 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hopeful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.