Word
hopeful
Phoneticshope·ful, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhoʊpfəɫ/
UK/hˈəʊpfəl/
Definitions
01feeling hope
B1 · Intermediate
adj. feeling or showing that you want something to happen and think it is possible.
adj. experiencing or expressing optimism regarding a future outcome.
日本語:楽観的※
“The students are hopeful that the exam results will be released early.”
“Despite the initial setbacks, the research team remained hopeful that their hypothesis would eventually be validated by the clinical trials.”
Usage
often followed by 'that' or 'about'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02giving hope
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. giving you a reason to believe that something good will happen.
adj. providing grounds for optimism or promising a positive result.
日本語:有望※
“The doctor gave us some hopeful news about my grandfather's recovery.”
“The recent economic data provided a hopeful sign that the recession might be shorter than analysts had originally predicted.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03a candidate
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a person who is trying to get a job, win a prize, or be elected.
n. an individual who aspires to a particular position, such as a political office or a role in a competition.
“Thousands of young hopefuls arrived at the stadium for the singing competition.”
“The presidential hopefuls gathered for the first televised debate to outline their respective visions for the country's infrastructure.”
Usage
often preceded by a descriptive noun like 'presidential' or 'Olympic'.
Teaching tip
This is a nominalised adjective; it is most common in journalism and political reporting.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “hopeful” in context.
Verb
01. remain hopeful
“Rescue workers remain hopeful that they will find more survivors in the wreckage.”
verb + adj
02. sound hopeful
“The doctor sounded hopeful when she discussed the preliminary test results with us.”
verb + adj
Adjective
03. cautiously hopeful
“Economists are cautiously hopeful that the market will stabilize by next quarter.”
adv + adj
04. hopeful of success
“Despite the setbacks, the team remains hopeful of success in the upcoming tournament.”
adj + prep + noun
05. hopeful to see
“We are hopeful to see a significant reduction in carbon emissions following the new policy.”
adj + infinitive
Noun
06. olympic hopeful
“The young Olympic hopeful is training six hours a day to qualify for the games.”
adj + noun
07. presidential hopeful
“The presidential hopeful spent the afternoon campaigning in the swing states.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“The lyrics are sad but hopeful, a promise that broken people can find happiness.” “Manx Care said it remained "hopeful" its new pay offer - made on 18 June - would be accepted.” “Across all three countries, the response follows a similar, hopeful pattern: pairing hard data with the knowledge of the people who live on the land.” Etymology
From hope + -ful.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/hopeful
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0