adj
hopeful
HOHPFL
adj
1
Feeling or expressing hope; expecting a good outcome.
"She stayed hopeful even after three rejections."
"Doctors are hopeful the treatment will work."
noun
1
Someone tipped to succeed or win, especially a candidate in an election.
"The young hopeful hopes to win a seat in parliament."
"Olympic hopefuls trained for years for this one race."
How to Use Hopeful
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFeeling optimistic, or (as a noun) a person expected to do well.
Common mistake
As an adverb, "hopefully" (meaning "I hope") is disputed by traditionalists — see the separate entry for "hopefully".
Common pairings
remain hopeful
cautiously hopeful
a young hopeful
Word Forms
more hopeful comparative, hopefuls plural, most hopeful superlative
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She stayed _____ even after three rejections.
Etymology
From hope + the suffix -ful ("full of").