hopeful

1 of 2

adjective

hope·ful ˈhōp-fəl

Synonyms of hopeful

: having qualities which inspire hope

hopeful signs of economic recovery

: full of hope : inclined to hope

hopefulness noun

hopeful

2 of 2

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Adjective

As implied, Ferran didn’t feature in the 2-2 friendly draw in England, where young Egyptian hopeful Hamza Abdelkarim bagged both of the Blaugrana’s goals. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Officials are hopeful that the immediate areas near the stadium will be done by the middle of August, and the final configuration will be ready. — Mac Engel july 31, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026

Noun

Other Republican gubernatorial hopefuls have slammed Fauci in a similar way. — Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 As part of his knee management and ramp-up, Sneed has exited both practices before team periods, but there is no doubt that his presence has thrown a wrinkle into the path of young hopefuls. — Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hopeful

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1720, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of hopeful was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hopeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopeful. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

hopeful

1 of 2 adjective

hope·ful ˈhōp-fəl

: having qualities which inspire hope

: full of or inclined to hope

hopefulness noun

hopeful

2 of 2 noun

: a person who has hopes or is considered promising

hopeful

adjective

noun

Synonyms of hopeful

Examples of hopeful in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on hopeful

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

torpor

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes