optimistic

adjective

op·​ti·​mis·​tic ˌäp-tə-ˈmi-stik 

: of, relating to, or characterized by optimism : feeling or showing hope for the future

an optimistic outlook

an optimistic economic forecast

a person with a hopeful, optimistic nature

I'm feeling optimistic about our chances.

The streets in question were magnificent commercial thoroughfares, … brimming with heavy streams of eager life—young, fresh, optimistic.

—Theodore Dreiser

optimistically

ˌäp-tə-ˈmi-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

thinking optimistically about the future

an optimistically upbeat forecast

Optimistically, he anticipates that nuclear weapons … will never be used in war again …

—Russell F. Weigley

Synonyms

• auspicious
• bright
• encouraging
• fair
• golden
• heartening
• hopeful
• likely
• promising
• propitious
• rose-colored
• roseate
• rosy
• upbeat

Examples of optimistic in a Sentence

the economic predictions for the coming year are actually quite optimistic

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite a bike bust in the years after the pandemic, both are optimistic about the industry’s future. —Max Scheinblum, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024

Our data is optimistic, but the politics is uncertain. —James Morton Turner, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2024

The results are also giving biologists with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks reasons to feel optimistic about the species’ future in the Treasure State. —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024

Prolonged uncertainty Accounting for uncertainty for a matter of days might prove to be somewhat optimistic—elections since the turn of the millennium have dragged on for weeks before a final result was announced. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

optimist + -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

optimistic

adjective

op·​ti·​mis·​tic

ˌäp-tə-ˈmis-tik

: showing optimism : expecting everything to come out all right : hopeful

optimistically

-ti-k(ə-)lē

adverb