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Synonyms

hopeful

American  
[hohp-fuhl] / ˈhoʊp fəl /

adjective

  1. full of hope; expressing hope.

    His hopeful words stimulated optimism.
    Synonyms:
    confident, optimistic, sanguine, expectant

  2. exciting hope; promising advantage or success.

    a hopeful prospect.

noun

  1. a person who shows promise or aspires to success.

    the Democratic presidential hopeful.
hopeful British  
/ ˈhəʊpfʊl /

adjective

  1. having or expressing hope

  2. giving or inspiring hope; promising

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a person considered to be on the brink of success (esp in the phrase a young hopeful )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • hopefulness noun
  • unhopeful adjective
  • unhopefully adverb

Etymology

Origin of hopeful

First recorded in 1560–70; hope + -ful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He said the situation was extremely frustrating but he was hopeful that there may be a paramedic job available for him in Canada.

From BBC

Paul Davy, 61, helped keep the group of friends connected throughout the years, after many of them left the company, by sending hopeful emails of a big jackpot win.

From BBC

Some are hopeful that the changes will help prevent cases of parental abduction, which have come into the spotlight in recent years - especially after allegations made by foreigners with Japanese ex-spouses.

From BBC

“But I am hopeful and I would guarantee we will find things in space that have enormous economic value.”

From MarketWatch

"Of all the ways I've seen death handled around the world, this felt the most natural, the most honest - and the most hopeful."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.