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

Critics praised Project Hail Mary for Ryan Gosling’s charismatic performance and the hopeful tone of the script. —Sophia Morano, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Authorities are hopeful the contents of the second note, revealed in the past few days, will lead to new tips in the search for Nancy Guthrie, who was in poor health and relied on medication to stay healthy. —Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

Noun

Political history is littered with hopefuls who took strong partisan positions during primaries, then tried to tack to the center during the general election—sometimes successfully, sometimes not. —Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 17 June 2026

Politicos and hopefuls, seeing others’ pins on display, brought theirs in as a form of competition. —A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 17 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