hopeful

1 of 2

adjective

hope·​ful ˈhōp-fəl How to pronounce hopeful (audio)
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

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
Allen did tee work Thursday and Brown got in about 50 swings in the cage and A’s manager Mark Kotsay is hopeful both can appear in a game this weekend. Jon Becker, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 But longtime backers of shedding more sunlight on the governor's office and Legislature in Michigan are hopeful the current effort to expand open record laws is successful. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024 The situation, however, appears to have turned hopeful. Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 Now, as more original YouTube creatives start to think about a life outside of filming 24/7, Kollman is hopeful that others can use Patrick’s path as a way to pass the torch to younger generations. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2024 Rather than bridge the gap between the Silent Generation and the Millennial generation, between one Democratic Party and another, between a nation rocked by the early decades of the 21st century and a more hopeful future, Joe Biden has left the country at an impasse. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 9 Mar. 2024 Pre-war Instagram posts—everything from a look inside Palestine’s first women-only boxing academy to selfies on the beach at sunset—show a hopeful, curly-haired Owda, full of ambition, curiosity about the world, and a deep love for Gaza. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Mar. 2024 The January data released Friday offered a hopeful beginning to the new year: The Employment Development Department said employers statewide added 58,100 nonfarm jobs, a full one-fourth of the nation’s gains for that month. Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Last week, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Cairo was hopeful that an agreement on a cease-fire could come before the start of Ramadan. Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Might this Oscar showing by films that premiered at Cannes, a year after Elvis, Top Gun: Maverick and Triangle of Sadness also catapulted from the Croisette to the best picture race, encourage more Oscar hopefuls to do the same this year? Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 Twin Rivers Unified School District A narrow margin separated two Twin Rivers Unified School District seat hopefuls, according to Tuesday’s results. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024 In the meantime, dampening the spirits of the soft-landing hopefuls was that Fed Chair Jerome Powell put off talk of interest rate cuts. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley speaks at her election night watch party in Charleston, South Carolina, on February 24, 2024. Nidia Cavazos, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2024 Florida throws its curveballs, requiring CPA hopefuls to rack up 150 semester hours of education with a hefty dose of accounting and business courses. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 When the former president’s control over the party appeared to be loosening last winter, the group invited every top-tier GOP presidential hopeful to a donor retreat in Palm Beach – except Trump. Rachel Looker, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 The Other Candidates For the most part, the other presidential hopefuls bypass terms like energy independence, energy security, or energy dominance. Dipka Bhambhani, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Continuing to advise political hopefuls across Los Angeles County? Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hopeful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1720, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hopeful was in 1568

Dictionary Entries Near hopeful

Cite this Entry

“Hopeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopeful. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hopeful

1 of 2 adjective
hope·​ful ˈhōp-fəl How to pronounce hopeful (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on hopeful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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