1
: having qualities which inspire hope
hopeful signs of economic recovery
2
: full of hope : inclined to hope
hopefulness
noun
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
Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
California In State of the City speech to a battered Los Angeles, Bass strikes hopeful tone
April 21, 2025
Bass has repeatedly lobbied Newsom and other state leaders for a relief package that could avert some or all of the job cuts.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
With an assist from those blockbuster hopefuls and others, Imax expects to deliver a record box office of more than $1.2 billion globally in 2025.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hopeful
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
If one prompt can unlock the worst of what AI can produce, security needs to evolve from hopeful constraint to continuous, intelligent defense.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
California In State of the City speech to a battered Los Angeles, Bass strikes hopeful tone
April 21, 2025
Bass has repeatedly lobbied Newsom and other state leaders for a relief package that could avert some or all of the job cuts.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
Instead, like many other first-round hopefuls, Sanders will be surrounded by friends and family awaiting his name to be called.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
With an assist from those blockbuster hopefuls and others, Imax expects to deliver a record box office of more than $1.2 billion globally in 2025.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hopeful
Cite this Entry
“Hopeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopeful. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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