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

Davidson cowrote each episode, providing plenty of laughs and adding an extra bounce to the show’s hopeful ending. — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026 Some hopeful fans took to social media to post their own interpretation of the phrase, often coupled with clips of past Mexican men’s national teams. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Noun

As many hopefuls lined up outside the venue in a last minute bid to secure a place to watch the tennis, Kate surprised them – dishing out tickets in the morning sun. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 2 July 2026 Politics has also centered on this road where presidents and presidential hopefuls have made key campaign stops and policy rollouts. — Salena Zito, Washington Post, 1 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 7 Jul. 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

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes