[usu pred 通常作表语] ~ (of/about sth); ~ (that...) (of a person) having hope （指人）抱有希望: be hopeful about the future 对未来充满希望 * I feel hopeful of success/that we shall succeed. 我对成功[我们将获得成功]抱有希望. 
(of a sign, situation, etc) giving hope; likely to be favourable or successful; promising （指徵兆﹑ 情况等）有希望的, 顺利的, 有前途的: The future does not seem very hopeful. 前途似乎有点不妙.> hopeful n person who hopes or seems likely to succeed 抱有希望的人; 有望获得成功的人: the young hopefuls, lined up before the judges 在评判员面前排成行的雄心勃勃的年轻人 * Many a young hopeful went toHollywood. 许多满怀希望的青年涌至好莱坞. hopefullyadv
1 in a hopeful way 抱有希望地: `I'm sure we'll find it,' he said hopefully. ‘我肯定我们能找到它,’ 他信心十足地说.
2 it is to be hoped; let us hope 可望; 我们可以指望: Hopefully, we'll arrive before dark. 我们可望天黑以前到达. hopefulness n [U].
NOTE ON USAGE 用法: There is a group of adverbs and adverbial phrases (eg frankly, obviously, to begin with) which can be used in two distinct ways 有些副词和副词性词组（如frankly﹑ obviously﹑ to begin with等）可以有两种迥然不同的用法: 1 They may modify the whole sentence 可以用作全句的修饰语: Frankly, you are wrong. 说实在的, 你错了. * Obviously, I'd prefer a better job. 明说了吧, 我想找个更好的工作. * To begin with, I don't like his attitude. 第一 点, 我不喜欢他的态度.
They may simply modify the verb 可以单纯用作动词的修饰语: He spoke frankly (= in a frank way) about his past life. 他坦率地讲述了他过去的生活. * He pointed very obviously at the woman in the fur coat. 他显然指的是那个穿着毛皮大衣的女子. * I liked it in America to begin with. 我起初是喜欢美国的这一点的. Other examples are generally, hopefully, personally, really, sadly, seriously, thankfully. 属於这一类的还有generally﹑ hopefully﹑ personally﹑ really﹑ sadly﹑ seriously﹑ thankfully等. Some careful speakers use hopefully only in pattern 2, but its use in pattern 1 is now widely accepted. 有些用词严谨的人使用hopefully仅限於第2式, 但第一式的用法现已广为接受.