Synonyms of hopeful

hopeful 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhōp-fəl 

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

• promising
• optimistic
• bright
• encouraging
• likely
• upbeat
• heartening
• rosy
• propitious
• auspicious
• golden
• positive
• fair
• reassuring
• confident
• favorable
• good
• sure
• roseate
• rose-colored
• comforting
• doubtless
• assured
• decisive
• soothing
• cheering
• bullish
• unhesitating
• beamish
• eupeptic

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unlikely
• desperate
• pessimistic
• hopeless
• discouraging
• dark
• gloomy
• bleak
• depressing
• dismal
• unpromising
• disheartening
• dreary
• uncertain
• doubtful
• inauspicious
• cheerless
• dubious
• negative
• downbeat
• unpropitious
• grim
• comfortless
• unfavorable
• unencouraging
• gray
• miserable
• bearish
• glum
• wretched
• funereal

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

• promising
• encouraging
• favorable
• bright
• happy
• lucky
• golden
• heartening
• propitious
• fortunate
• auspicious
• beneficial
• profitable
• prosperous
• advantageous
• fortuitous
• providential
• salutary

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hopeless
• discouraging
• unfavorable
• unpromising
• disheartening
• dim
• unfortunate
• unhappy
• inauspicious
• unpropitious
• unlucky
• disastrous
• fatal
• catastrophic
• futureless
• calamitous
• ominous
• dark
• ruinous
• gloomy
• ill
• sinister
• threatening
• dire
• menacing
• portentous
• foreboding
• baleful
• direful
• minatory
• doomy
• ill-boding

hopeful

2 of 2

noun

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

• candidate
• contender
• expectant
• applicant
• prospect
• aspirant
• campaigner
• seeker
• nominee
• competitor
• contestant
• favorite
• entry
• qualifier
• entrant
• applier
• claimant
• favorite son
• crown prince
• pretender
• spoiler
• dark horse
• running mate
• stalking horse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• incumbent
• officeholder
• noncandidate
• awardee
• honoree
• inductee
• dropout

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hopeful

Adjective

Curry’s name resides alongside that of his hopeful future teammate, LeBron James, as this generation’s two strongest locks for enshrinement into basketball immortality. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 22 July 2026

The Cinerama Dome’s hopeful reopening has been a constant source of intrigue and interest for the city’s avid moviegoing audience, which has signed petitions and staged demonstrations in the hopes of bringing the monument back to life. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026

Noun

The top two vote-getters out of 16 hopefuls will advance to the November general election. — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026

Uribe Turbay, a senator and presidential hopeful with the conservative Democratic Center party, was shot during a campaign event in Bogotá in June 2025. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026