Final negotiations are still several months off, but both sides sounded somewhat optimistic.

"I'm somewhat optimistic something can be worked out."

"Our estimate of $300 billion for fiscal 2003 looks somewhat optimistic."

The book is somewhat optimistic about the country and its peoples.

Everything had seemed to be going so well: although the 20lb target weight was looking somewhat optimistic, the birds were fattening up nicely.

But while officials there have been somewhat optimistic that new policies can turn the economy around, the American experts took a different view.

"I find your notion of a pretty good chance somewhat optimistic," said Sinderella grimly.

"We all felt somewhat optimistic about the chances of making some progress."

A week was somewhat optimistic, he thought, but that should break the back of the job.

Analysts said they were somewhat optimistic about the company's prospects, even though its revenue and profit margins continued to fall.