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

Piker, for his part, has become a regular target for Republicans who are doing their best to make sure his inflammatory comments are tied to Democrats, in particular Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul el Sayed. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 2026

Krux may be about the end of times, but these were dark times to begin with, and the film leaves us hopeful that some of the villagers will find their way back to the light. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026

Noun

Toronto leadoff hitter Brett Bateman reached base and scored three times, twice knocked in by Nathan Lukes, and the Blue Jays beat the AL West-leading Texas Rangers 7-2 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep in the matchup of playoff hopefuls. — CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026

The three-hour long finale saw hopefuls Jordan McCullough, Hannah Harper, and Keyla Richardson compete for the final spot. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026

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