hopefully

adverb

hope·ful·ly ˈhōp-fə-lē

Synonyms of hopefully next

: in a way that expresses desire with an expectation of fulfillment : in a hopeful manner

gazed up at us hopefully

: it is hoped : I hope : we hope

hopefully the rain will end soon

Can hopefully mean 'I hope'?: Usage Guide

In the 1960s the second sense of hopefully ("it is hoped"), which dates to the early 18th century and had been in fairly widespread use since at least the 1930s, underwent a surge in popularity. A surge of criticism followed in reaction, but the criticism took no account of the grammar of adverbs. Hopefully when used to mean "it is hoped" is a member of a class of adverbs known as disjuncts. Disjuncts serve as a means by which the author or speaker can comment directly to the reader or hearer usually on the content of the sentence to which they are attached. Many other adverbs (such as interestingly, frankly, clearly, luckily, unfortunately) are similarly used; most are so ordinary as to excite no comment or interest whatsoever. The "it is hoped" sense of hopefully is entirely standard.

Examples of hopefully in a Sentence

They gazed up at us hopefully. Hopefully, things will get better soon.

Recent Examples on the Web On premium denim: Premium denim is denim that is not made like fast fashion, and that hopefully is made with responsibility in mind. —

Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 27 Sep. 2024 For many fans, Thursday’s finale is one last chance to party Bay Area style at an A’s game — tailgating in the parking lot, dancing to the right field drummers and, hopefully, singing along to Kool & the Gang after the final out. —

Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024 It's been fun getting to incorporate that and creating something hopefully different in horror. —

Mike Miller, EW.com, 26 Sep. 2024 The truck has popped up in Napa, Calif., Las Vegas and New York City — with hopefully more surprise stops to come. 07 of 31 Movie Snack: Novelty Popcorn Buckets Collectors couldn’t wait to get their hands on — and in! — viral vessels sold in movie theaters. —

Sonal Dutt, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hopefully

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hopefully.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.