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

And that’s a hopeful timeline, given the hurdles of demining, returning confidence to captains and insurers, and bringing in a legion of empty tankers to stock up — and the risk that one errant drone could reset the whole process to square one. —Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 2 June 2026

Part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West, Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie is billed as a fresh adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic semi-autobiographical book series, examining a pioneer family’s life in the American Midwest. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 June 2026

Noun

Alejandro Balde His development has stalled this season and Joao Cancelo — who arrived on loan from Al Hilal during the winter transfer window, with Barca hopeful of bringing him back for next term — took his place. —Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 3 June 2026

On the Democratic side, hopefuls are Magali Sanchez-Hall, an environmental justice advocate; Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, an advocacy nonprofit manager; Lamar Lyons, Neighborhood Council president; Vinson Eugene Allen, a doctor; and Ayanna Davis, an educator and school board trustee. —Ryan Carter, Daily News, 3 June 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