hopeful

[hohp-fuh l]

See more synonyms for hopeful on Thesaurus.com

adjective

full of hope; expressing hope: His hopeful words stimulated optimism.
exciting hope; promising advantage or success: a hopeful prospect.

noun

a person who shows promise or aspires to success: the Democratic presidential hopeful.

Origin of hopeful

First recorded in 1560–70; hope + -ful

Related formshope·ful·ness, nounun·hope·ful, adjectiveun·hope·ful·ly, adverb

Synonyms

See more synonyms for hopeful on Thesaurus.com

1. expectant; sanguine, optimistic, confident.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for hopeful

Contemporary Examples

Is there any chance the potential 2016 hopeful will stand up to the right and embrace paid sick leave?
Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy
Monica Potts
January 3, 2015
He remained as hopeful as ever that he would himself join the NYPD, whatever the danger.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops
Michael Daly
December 26, 2014
Foxx is hopeful that young people are evolving past the point of being preoccupied with race.
Jamie Foxx: Get Over the Black ‘Annie’
Stereo Williams
December 20, 2014
But assuming things were ever that hopeful, heaven was short-lived, and trouble followed.
The Sydney Astrologer Turned Islamic Radical
Jacob Siegel
December 16, 2014
Bright-eyed and hopeful, she had become a national celebrity in her home country, even appearing on a TV variety show.
The Shocking Death of Miss Honduras
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena
November 19, 2014

Historical Examples

We are bound to be hopeful, nor wrong our great-hearted father.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
One of whom she had been hopeful, had disappeared—it was supposed with another man's wife.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
She leaned over and kissed her father in a hopeful, pretty way.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
Here the Union men were hopeful, but the news from the East was bad.
The Rock of Chickamauga
Joseph A. Altsheler
When that is removed, I am hopeful that we can take him without bloodshed.
The Hunted Outlaw
Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for hopeful

hopeful

adjective

having or expressing hope
giving or inspiring hope; promising

noun

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

Derived Formshopefulness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for hopeful

adj.

c.1200, from hope + -ful. As a noun, "one on whom hopes are set," from 1720. Related: Hopefulness.

hopeful

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}hopeful

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for hopeful

Contemporary Examples

Is there any chance the potential 2016 hopeful will stand up to the right and embrace paid sick leave?

He remained as hopeful as ever that he would himself join the NYPD, whatever the danger.

Foxx is hopeful that young people are evolving past the point of being preoccupied with race.

But assuming things were ever that hopeful, heaven was short-lived, and trouble followed.

Bright-eyed and hopeful, she had become a national celebrity in her home country, even appearing on a TV variety show.

Historical Examples

We are bound to be hopeful, nor wrong our great-hearted father.

One of whom she had been hopeful, had disappeared—it was supposed with another man's wife.

She leaned over and kissed her father in a hopeful, pretty way.

Here the Union men were hopeful, but the news from the East was bad.

When that is removed, I am hopeful that we can take him without bloodshed.

hopeful

Word Origin and History for hopeful

adj.

Origin of hopeful