Hopeful

adj.hopeful, resilienteveryday

What it means

Seeing a credible path toward a welcome outcome.

Reach for it when encouraging someone without pretending success is certain

The new test results left the doctors hopeful about her recovery.

everyday
optimistic
a generally positive expectation is the main idea
not when Optimistic can ignore risk, while hopeful can coexist with uncertainty.
everyday
positive
you want broad, accessible language for a constructive outlook
not when Positive is vague and may describe attitude without any expected outcome.
warm
encouraged
specific progress has increased someone's confidence
not when It requires a cause; a person may be hopeful before receiving any evidence.
professional
confident
belief in success is comparatively strong
not when Genuine doubt makes hopeful more accurate than confident.
professional
promising
evidence suggests that a plan, person, or result may succeed
not when Do not substitute it for someone's own feeling; promising evaluates their prospects.
formal
sanguine
calm optimism persists despite difficulty
not when Its uncommon register can distract in a card or everyday encouragement.
literary
buoyant
spirits remain light and resilient
not when Buoyant describes mood more than a reasoned expectation.
literary
expectant
hope includes alert anticipation of something approaching
not when Expectant can imply a near or specific event that hopeful does not.

feel hopeful
After seeing the repaired classrooms, families began to feel hopeful again.
hopeful sign
The first returning birds are a hopeful sign for the restored wetland.
cautiously hopeful
The engineers remain cautiously hopeful while the final load tests continue.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.