hopefully

hopefully — adverb

1. used to say that you want something good to come true, or that you feel positive

1.adverbA2
Definition

used to say that you want something good to come true, or that you feel positive about how a situation will turn out.

Example

Hopefully, the rain will stop before Aylin's outdoor wedding begins.

sentence-adverb pattern: Hopefully, + clause

The ferry will hopefully reach the island before the evening fog rolls in.

mid-clause pattern: will hopefully + verb

Common collocations
  • hopefully + will / can / be going to
  • hopefully + before + time phrase
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • unfortunately

    conveys the opposite feeling of regret about a situation

Grammar Patterns

Hopefully, + clause

clause + hopefully + clause

Usage Note

This use of 'hopefully' as a sentence adverb is sometimes called controversial: a small number of older style guides prefer only the manner meaning (Sense 2). However, the sentence-adverb use has been standard in everyday English for decades and is accepted in all but the most formal writing.

Common Mistakes

I am hopefully that the rain stops.
I hope that the rain stops.' / 'Hopefully, the rain will stop.
'hopefully' is an adverb; do not use it after 'be' like an adjective.

2. showing through your expression or tone of voice that you feel or expect somethi

2.adverbB1
Definition

showing through your expression or tone of voice that you feel or expect something good is about to happen.

Example

The children looked up hopefully at their grandfather, waiting to hear about the trip.

looked up hopefully — expression + gesture

'Will you come to my show?' Asher asked hopefully, holding up a bright flyer.

asked hopefully — tone-of-voice pattern

Common collocations
  • looked hopefully
  • asked hopefully
  • smiled hopefully
  • waited hopefully
Synonyms
  • expectantly

    stresses the idea of waiting for a specific outcome

  • optimistically

    focuses on a positive outlook toward the future

  • eagerly

    adds a sense of strong desire or impatience

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

verb + hopefully

hopefully + verb describing expression or gesture

Usage Note

This sense describes how someone acts or speaks — it is a manner adverb that typically comes after the verb. When it describes a look or tone, the sentence is easier to understand if you can picture the person's face or voice.

Common Mistakes

She hopefully opened the door and saw the cake.' (ambiguous)
She opened the door hopefully and saw the cake.
placing 'hopefully' before the verb can create confusion with the sentence-adverb meaning (Sense 1). Put it after the verb for the manner reading.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Hopefully' is the quickest way to add a positive wish to a statement, and it fits comfortably in conversation and most writing. 'I hope' is the fuller, more explicit choice: it names the speaker as the one doing the hoping, which makes it clearer and works in every register — from casual talk to formal letters. 'With any luck' sounds friendlier and more informal, as in 'With any luck, the bus will be on time', but it can feel a bit vague for serious situations. 'Let's hope' pulls the listener into the wish with the speaker, so it is great for group situations: 'Let's hope the weather clears up before the picnic.' For most learners, 'I hope' is the safest default because it avoids the small controversy around 'hopefully' and fits all styles. Choose 'hopefully' when you want a single adverb to carry the meaning, and save 'let's hope' for moments that feel shared.

hopefully ↗I hopewith any lucklet's hope

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • very hopefully
  • rather hopefully

Phrases

  • but hopefully
  • so hopefully
  • and hopefully

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word is built from 'hope' (a feeling that something good will happen) plus the suffix '-ful' (full of) and '-ly' (in a certain way). 'Hope' comes from Old English 'hopa', which had the same meaning as today. The sentence-adverb use (Sense 1) began in the early 1900s in American English and spread broadly after the mid-1900s, despite some early resistance from style commentators.