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

Alderweireld, meanwhile, has been hopeful of playing for a club capable of competing for trophies, while simultaneously earning a wage packet more befitting of his status as one of the Premier League's top central defenders. — SI.com, "Tottenham Hopeful Tanguy Ndombele Arrival Will Help Convince First Team Pair to Sign New Contracts," 3 July 2019 Day is hopeful the course dries out a bit, which might be asking for a lot given the current forecast. — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, "3M Open: For Osceola’s Charlie Danielson, home event is essential, special," 3 July 2019 The bubble candidates include Booker, the New Jersey senator and the only black man in the race; and Castro, the only White House hopeful of Hispanic heritage. — Steve Peoples, chicagotribune.com, "20 Democrats competed in the first round of presidential debates. Only 6 have qualified for the next round so far.," 1 July 2019 Manager Ron Gardenhire is hopeful Candelario, who hit .179 in 42 games with the Tigers prior to the promotion, will reclaim the third base job on a regular basis. — Dana Gauruder, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers' Matthew Boyd battered by longball once again in 4-1 loss to Texas," 26 June 2019 Cathy Kentner, the main force behind Question 200, is hopeful the measure will pass next month despite the lopsided financial advantage held by her opponents. — John Aguilar, The Denver Post, "Opponents pour money into effort to curb growth in Lakewood," 16 June 2019 Humphries has participated in offseason practices and is hopeful of being ready by the season opener. — Kent Somers, azcentral, "Kyler Murray isn't the only Cardinals first-round pick with something to prove," 11 June 2019 Nevertheless, in Kasensero, the mood is hopeful now. — Alec Jacobson, National Geographic, "Fishermen fight to survive on the world's second largest lake," 3 May 2019 If 2018 marked a dark year for CRISPR and genetics, scientists across the globe are hopeful the technology will be put to better use. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "CRISPR Baby Scientist Comprehensively Denounced By Genetics Experts," 3 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

What was once an inside-basketball week of sloppy offseason scrimmages and hopefuls pedaling resumes to executives milling the concourse, has morphed into a sell-out event. — Jake Fischer, SI.com, "Zion Williamson's Debut and the Top NBA Summer League Storylines to Watch," 4 July 2019 Photos: Second Democratic Presidential Debate Presidential hopefuls sparred on stage in the second Democratic debate of the 2020 election. — Gerald F. Seib, WSJ, "Democratic Debates Sorted the Field, But Did They Persuade Voters?," 28 June 2019 The 10 Democratic hopefuls spent much of the evening pointing fingers, shouting over each other and ignoring the harried moderators who tried, usually unsuccessfully, to enforce the one-minute time limit for responses. — John Wildermuth, SFChronicle.com, "Kamala Harris takes command during heated presidential debate," 28 June 2019 Oregon is a blue-state stronghold, so other Democratic hopefuls will likely visit as the election cycle heats up. — oregonlive.com, "Andrew Yang will rally, raise money in Portland for presidential campaign," 24 June 2019 Democratic presidential hopefuls are full of ideas about what to do with the nation’s $1.6 trillion of student debt. — Adam Harris, The Atlantic, "Bernie Sanders' Expansive Student-Debt Cancellation Plan," 24 June 2019 While Democratic hopefuls have seen it as a way to brandish their liberal credentials. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Rep. Susan Davis cosponsors Green New Deal following protests in San Diego," 18 June 2019 One Democratic hopeful is the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the Obama administration, Julián Castro. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Julián Castro's Wife Erica Lira Could Be America's Future First Lady," 11 Apr. 2019 While Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are leading the pack at this early stage, WSJ's Gerald F. Seib says there are three other hopefuls worth watching. — Ken Thomas, WSJ, "Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg to Share Debate Stage," 14 June 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.