1
: having qualities which inspire hope
hopeful signs of economic recovery
2
: full of hope : inclined to hope
hopefulness
noun
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
Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
At a weekly Saturday night gathering for the hostages in Tel Aviv, many people sounded cautiously hopeful — if not frustrated with the political leadership at home.
—Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025
Serenah McKay, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2025
Up ⬆ One Battle After Another The Oscars are very much not determined by statistics; there are graveyards full of Oscar hopefuls that looked like winners on paper but ultimately didn’t connect with voters for some ephemeral reason or another.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hopeful
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
While their recent encounter marked a hopeful step forward, royal insiders caution that a long road lies ahead before full reconciliation is likely.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
At a weekly Saturday night gathering for the hostages in Tel Aviv, many people sounded cautiously hopeful — if not frustrated with the political leadership at home.
—Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
In a morning session at the Sam Walton Hall at Walmart's new headquarters campus, Dunning was among several business owners called to the stage to practice their pitches before a crowd of other supplier hopefuls.
—Serenah McKay, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2025
Up ⬆ One Battle After Another The Oscars are very much not determined by statistics; there are graveyards full of Oscar hopefuls that looked like winners on paper but ultimately didn’t connect with voters for some ephemeral reason or another.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hopeful
Cite this Entry
“Hopeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopeful. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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