- 1[not usually before noun] (of a person) believing that something you want will happen synonym optimistic hopeful (that…) I feel hopeful that we'll find a larger house very soon. hopeful (about something) He is not very hopeful about the outcome of the interview. opposite pessimistic
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- 2[only before noun] (of a person's behavior) showing hope a hopeful smile
- 3(of a thing) making you believe that something you want will happen; bringing hope synonym promising The latest sales figures are a hopeful sign. The future did not seem very hopeful.
noun [uncountable]See hopeful in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: hopeful