Hopeful

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Hopeful

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective and noun

Pronunciation

HOHP-ful  /ˈhəʊpf(ə)l/

Definition

As an adjective: feeling or inspiring hope; expressing or indicating optimism about a future outcome; showing expectation that something desired will happen. As a noun (informal): a person who hopes or aspires to something — particularly a candidate or contestant who is seen as a possible but not certain success.

Plain meaning

Hopeful means feeling or showing hope — expecting that something good will happen or that things will improve. A person who is hopeful about the future believes things will get better. As a noun, a hopeful is someone who is hoping or trying for something — a young hopeful auditioning for a role, or an election hopeful running for office.

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Neutral to positive. Hopeful is a warm, optimistic word used in everyday speech, journalism, literature, and psychological research. Its noun use is slightly informal and often appears in journalistic contexts for political candidates or sporting contestants.