Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - hopeful

(hopefuls) 1. If you are hopeful, you are fairly confident that something that you want to happen will happen. I am hopeful this misunderstanding will be rectified very quickly... ADJ: usu v-link ADJ, oft ADJ that, ADJ of n/-ing • hopefully ‘Am I welcome?’ He smiled hopefully, leaning on the door. ADV: ADV with v 2. If something such as a sign or event is hopeful, it makes you feel that what you want to happen will happen. The result of the election in is yet another hopeful sign that peace could come to the Middle East. ADJ 3. A hopeful action is one that you do in the hope that you will get what you want to get. We’ve chartered the aircraft in the hopeful anticipation that the government will allow them to leave. ADJ: ADJ n 4. If you refer to someone as a hopeful, you mean that they are hoping and trying to achieve success in a particular career, election, or competition. His soccer skills continue to be put to good use in his job as football coach to young hopefuls. N-COUNT