easy
Mia felt hopeful before the class game started.
What does Hopeful mean?
Hopeful means feeling positive about what may happen.
Dictionary definition
Hopeful means feeling or showing hope that something good can happen.
Example sentences
Hopeful in a sentence
medium
The character seemed hopeful after the surprise news.
hard
Writers use words like hopeful to show mood and character change.
Writing practice
Ready to write your own? Study the examples, then practice hopeful in a sentence with Sentence Builder checklist feedback.
Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Hopeful
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does hopeful mean?
Feeling positive about what may happen matches the meaning of the word.
Practice 2
Which word is closest in meaning to hopeful?
Hopeful and optimistic both suggest expecting good things.
Practice 3
Which word is an opposite or strong contrast for hopeful?
Hopeless is the opposite of hopeful.
Practice complete
Nice work!
You completed 3 questions.
Pronunciation coach
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Hopeful
Voice settings
Sounds like
hohp · ful · strongest beat: hohp
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordHopeful.
Partadjective.
MeaningHopeful means feeling positive about what may happen.
ExampleExample: Mia felt hopeful before the class game started.
Word breakdown
2 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- hohp · ful
- Strongest beat
- hohp
- Ending
- ful
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on hohp.
Your turn
Say Hopeful
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Ready when you are.
Nice work—you practiced hopeful.
Synonyms
Words like Hopeful
optimisticExpecting good things to happen.
encouragedFeeling supported and more positive.
positiveFocusing on good possibilities.
Antonyms
Opposite words
hopelessFeeling no hope.
discouragedFeeling less confident or hopeful.
Synonym practice
Want to practice hopeful synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "The final chapter offered a hopeful ending after so much loss," then compare close word choices. Practice hopeful synonyms.
Word family
Hopeful word family
Base word
hope
adjective
hopeful
Feeling positive about what may happen.
adverb
hopefully
In a hopeful way.
noun
hopefulness
The quality of feeling hopeful.
Related words
Explore related words
Student support
Understand Hopeful
Hint for students
Hopeful means feeling positive about what may happen.
Common mix-up
Hopeful is not the same as hopeless. Hopeful means hopeful means feeling positive about what may happen.
Try it in class or at home
Read this model sentence: The character seemed hopeful after the surprise news. Clue words: character, seemed, surprise. Underline clue words that show why hopeful fits instead of hopeless. Now write one new sentence that shows hopeful without using the word hopeful. Ask: Does my sentence clearly show hopeful?
Teacher prompt
Ask students to explain this model sentence: "The character seemed hopeful after the surprise news." Why does hopeful fit better than hopeless?
Learning activities
Practice Hopeful and explore more word games
Cards labelled “Practice HOPEFUL” keep this word in focus. Explore cards open games with other words.
Practice HOPEFUL
Sentence Builder
Write your own sentence with this word and revise with checklist feedback.
Write a sentence with HOPEFUL
Explore · Spelling
Spell Hive
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Practice spelling
Explore · Definitions
Define the Word Hive
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Practice definitions
Explore · Matching
Vocabulary Match
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Match meanings
Explore · Context
Context Clue Challenge
Use sentence clues to choose the word that fits the meaning.
Use context clues
Practice HOPEFUL
Synonym Search
Compare meanings in a question that includes HOPEFUL.
Practice HOPEFUL
Explore · Scramble
Scrambled Bees
Rebuild words from mixed-up letters for spelling practice.
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