1
as in promising
having qualities which inspire hope
economists are offering a hopeful forecast for a healthy economy in the coming year
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraging
pointing toward a happy outcome
in a hopeful response to the ad, several people called to say they'd seen our lost cat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in candidate
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
the three mayoral hopefuls are going to debate on local TV
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hopeful
Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Officials at the Democratic National Committee were hopeful heading into last fall’s elections.
—Dan Merica, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2026
George E. Mitchell, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show open casting information Applications for the open casting call are set to open Monday, April 6, and fashion-forward hopefuls can expect more details to drop then.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hopeful
Adjective
The Canucks still had Quinn Hughes, a potential bounce-back from Elias Pettersson and the hopeful return of a healthy Thatcher Demko.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Officials at the Democratic National Committee were hopeful heading into last fall’s elections.
—Dan Merica, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
Change-minded hopefuls, about 42% of the total, are mostly women and people with low incomes.
—George E. Mitchell, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show open casting information Applications for the open casting call are set to open Monday, April 6, and fashion-forward hopefuls can expect more details to drop then.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hopeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hopeful
Adjective
-
Among them, two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors are gaining traction as a promising post-Moore pathway, offering atomically thin structures that could enable continued transistor scaling while improving energy efficiency and performance.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Learning to spend significant amounts of money proactively to unlock future growth was one of the essential mindset shifts in taking Scandit from a promising deep tech startup to a global company.—
Samuel Mueller,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Road Ahead for the Grizzly Bear Cubs While the news is encouraging, wildlife officials emphasized that the challenges are far from over.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Apr. 2026
-
SpaceX valuation 'encouraging' watch now Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor in Wisconsin, cautioned against reading too much into Tuesday’s results.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Headlined by Kon Knueppel, who’s a candidate to be the Hornets’ first rookie of the year since Ball picked up the honor in 2020-21, the additions of Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Liam McNeeley easily represent the team’s best collective class in a very long time.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Your optimistic spirit stays strong when habits match your values, so pick savings goals that fit your real life.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But the Bipartisan Policy Center sees evidence of Peterson’s wish—that lawmakers on both sides will begin working together to come up with solutions—and is more optimistic that an all-out fiscal crisis isn’t in the cards.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Recent poll results shared at a Tuesday night hearing showed 55% of those in a random sample were favorable to a mill levy override.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The hope is a new administration more favorable to offshore wind will be in place by the time turbines are ready to touch federal waters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
McDavid got the best of his matchup against his Canadian Olympic teammate and fellow Hart Trophy contender Macklin Celebrini, who scored on the power play to give San Jose a 1-0 lead.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Several potential 2028 contenders are attending the annual gathering, which gives them the opportunity to address thousands of civil rights leaders, media figures, and advocates working to advance issues important to Black and Brown communities.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Then, there’s a dramatic landscape by Jacob van Ruisdael, with gray clouds muttering on high and brighter blues impending in the sky below.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The Earth is so bright out there and the moon is just hanging in front of us, this black orb out in front of us.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Orbán also leaves behind a fiscal mess, which the analyst Dalibor Rohac suggests Orbán might be happy to abandon while plotting his comeback.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
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Maria Bear, the founder of The Baer Minimalist, has been happy with her decision to add an insert for knives into her drawers in lieu of keeping a knife block on the counter.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hopeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hopeful. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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