Let's hope they're right. After searching for the words to convey just how awful the year 2021 has been, close to half of Americans say the one word that best describes their mood about 2022 is "hopeful." The proportion who feel that way is more than double the less optimistic options that finished lower on the list. But there is still significant wariness and weariness about what's coming next. Asked their view of the year ahead, respondents in a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll say they are: 1. Hopeful - 46% 2. Worried - 19% 3. Exhausted - 18% Among the words volunteered in response to the open-ended question to describe 2021 in a single word: 1. Awful/terrible/bad/sucked - 23% 2. Chaos/confusing/turmoil - 12% 3. Challenging/hard/rough - 11% 4. Disaster/train wreck/catastrophe - 6% The survey of 1,000 registered voters, taken by cell phone and landline Dec. 27 to 30, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.