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
Relevance
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
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
The one-year recognition for her character, Ofglen, appears to fall outside the bounds of eligibility, but the streamer is hopeful the TV Academy will consider her circumstances.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 May 2025
Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
This year, the U’s top hopefuls include Aireontae Ersery, Jay Joyner, Justin Walley, Cody Lindenberg, Max Brosmer and Daniel Jackson.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hopeful
Adjective
But, as many fans already know, there’s reason to be hopeful about the story ahead.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
The one-year recognition for her character, Ofglen, appears to fall outside the bounds of eligibility, but the streamer is hopeful the TV Academy will consider her circumstances.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 May 2025
Noun
Helsley's electric fastball and tumbling slider will be at the top of teams' lists, and if the Diamondbacks wait and the Cardinals look to move him, the asking price could result in a bidding war among playoff hopefuls.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
This year, the U’s top hopefuls include Aireontae Ersery, Jay Joyner, Justin Walley, Cody Lindenberg, Max Brosmer and Daniel Jackson.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hopeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hopeful
Adjective
-
New studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, in the last few days offer promising findings for both pharmaceutical and lifestyle interventions, including the impact of diet and exercise.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
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No one would dare predict that an American man is going to be lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires June 8, but the current generation of American twenty-somethings is still taking promising baby steps in the City of Light.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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This direct and encouraging approach can counteract any hesitancy stemming from a lack of confidence and empower women to embrace competitive opportunities.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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And he was forever struck by the example of Peter’s family encouraging and challenging him — an approach that enabled Peter to work and ski and fish and live what Reid described as a normal life.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
Since talent drives success, leaders must pair strong interviews with candidate assessments.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Burn was a strong candidate to be The Athletic’s Newcastle player of the season, after scoring the iconic opening goal in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool and then immediately making his debut for England.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Marketers are preparing to take the next leap forward with AI. Boston Consulting Group’s annual survey of marketers found that 71% of CMOs plan to invest more than $10 million annually in generative AI over the next three years, and 83% are optimistic about the technology.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
-
Woodson left Las Vegas optimistic about the conversation.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Bubic relied on his fastball more to get in favorable counts before mixing the rest of his pitching arsenal.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2025
-
Prior to the tariff announcements, the economic backdrop was relatively favorable—inflation had been gradually easing toward the Fed’s 2% target, and unemployment was low.—
Magdy Hassan Fayed,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
The Champions League is the ultimate barometer of the continent’s elite clubs and up until now PSG has been a flashy contender that always came up short.—
James Robson,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
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The Champions League is the ultimate barometer of the continent’s elite clubs, and up until now PSG has been a flashy contender that always came up short.—
James Robson,
Chicago Tribune,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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While times are tough for recent college grads, the future looks bright for those with experience-building apprenticeships - especially in some trade roles where AI isn’t a threat.—
Chris Westfall,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
Double-pane sliding glass windows throughout flood the space with natural light, making the whole home feel bright and open.—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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When a match goes really well — i.e. when the couple gets engaged, the ballyhooed happy ending of all romances, naturally — a bar cart is rolled out and all the young matchmakers gather around each other and cheer for their good fortune, and for the seeming success of love itself.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 June 2025
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What if starlets like Spears were not happy collaborators in a patriarchal order but scapegoats who had been exploited for profit, pushed to the brink by an insatiable audience, and forced to bear the misogynistic projections of an entire country?—
Dayna Tortorici,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hopeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hopeful. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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