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

The crypto industry lobby was once hopeful that lawmakers would pass a sweeping digital assets market structure bill called the Clarity Act before the end of the year. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025

The hopeful contestant had recorded herself speaking directly to the camera lens with confidence and ease, dressed in a chic black dress. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025

Noun

The rosters, which have not been finalized, will consist of Major League Baseball hopefuls with no guarantee of getting to the bigs. —Denny Alfonso, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

However, Ramaswamy's campaign has pushed back against these results, arguing that the Republican hopeful has a wider appeal and that the poll is too narrow to reflect that. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025

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