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

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

Trepanier is hopeful but concerned that the plan to remove the birds may fall through. —Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 15 Sep. 2025

There is a lot to be hopeful about. —Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

Noun

Several championship hopefuls have seemingly structured their contracts with the 2027 offseason in mind. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

This after the Tigers entered the game ranked 84th nationally in total offense, despite a Heisman Trophy hopeful in Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback. —Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1568, 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