forlorn hope

noun

1. a perilous or desperate enterprise.

2. a vain hope.

3. Obsolete.,  a group of soldiers assigned to perform some unusually dangerous service.

forlorn hope

noun

1. a hopeless or desperate enterprise

2. a faint hope

3. obsolete,  a group of soldiers assigned to an extremely dangerous duty

Word History and Origins

Origin of forlorn hope¹

1530–40; folk-etymological alteration of Dutch verloren hoop literally, lost troop

Word History and Origins

Origin of forlorn hope¹

C16 (in the obsolete sense): changed (by folk etymology) from Dutch verloren hoop lost troop, from verloren , past participle of verliezen to lose + hoop troop (literally: heap)