hope
noun
the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
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The word hope comes from which language family?
hope
1 American
[hohp]
/ hoสp /
noun
-
hopes
plural
-
the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
to give up hope.
- Synonyms:
- longing, expectancy, aspiration
-
a particular instance of this feeling.
the hope of winning.
-
grounds for this feeling in a particular instance.
There is little or no hope of his recovery.
-
a person or thing in which expectations are centered.
The medicine was her last hope.
-
something that is hoped for.
Her forgiveness is my constant hope.
verb (used with object)
-
hopes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hoped,
past participle, past
-
hoping
present participle
-
to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.
-
to believe, desire, or trust.
I hope that my work will be satisfactory.
verb (used without object)
-
hopes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hoped,
past participle, past
-
hoping
present participle
-
to feel that something desired may happen.
We hope for an early spring.
-
Archaic. to place trust; rely (usually followed byin ).
idioms
Hope
2
American
[hohp]
/ hoสp /
noun
-
Anthony, pen name of Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins.
-
Bob Leslie Townes Hope, 1903โ2003, U.S. comedian, born in England.
-
John, 1868โ1936, U.S. educator.
-
a town in SW Arkansas.
-
a female given name.
hope
1
British
/ hษสp /
noun
-
(sometimes plural) a feeling of desire for something and confidence in the possibility of its fulfilment
his hope for peace was justified
their hopes were dashed
-
a reasonable ground for this feeling
there is still hope
-
a person or thing that gives cause for hope
-
a thing, situation, or event that is desired
my hope is that prices will fall
-
used ironically to express little confidence that expectations will be fulfilled
verb
-
(tr; takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to desire (something) with some possibility of fulfilment
we hope you can come
I hope to tell you
-
to have a wish (for a future event, situation, etc)
-
(tr; takes a clause as object) to trust, expect, or believe
we hope that this is satisfactory
Hope
2
British
/ hษสp /
noun
-
Anthony, real name Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins. 1863โ1933, English novelist; author of The Prisoner of Zenda (1894)
-
Bob, real name Leslie Townes Hope. 1903โ2003, US comedian and comic actor, born in England. His films include The Cat and the Canary (1939), Road to Morocco (1942), and The Paleface (1947). He was awarded an honorary knighthood in 1998
-
David ( Michael ). Baron. born 1940, British churchman, Archbishop of York (1995โ2005)
hope
More Idioms
Usage
What are other ways to say hope?
To hope for something is to look forward to it with desire and reasonable confidence. When should you use this verb over anticipate, expect, or await? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
hopesimple
-
hopessimple
-
have hopedperfect
-
has hopedperfect
-
am hopingprogressive
-
are hopingprogressive
-
is hopingprogressive
-
have been hopingperfect progressive
-
has been hopingperfect progressive
Past
-
hopedsimple
-
had hopedperfect
-
was hopingprogressive
-
were hopingprogressive
-
had been hopingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hope
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English hopa; cognate with Dutch hoop, German Hoffe; (verb) Middle English hopen, Old English hopian
Explanation
Hope is something that you want to happen, like your hope to visit Paris this summer, or the feeling that good things will come. If you make it to the final round of a tournament, that gives you hope. Hope can also be a verb that means "strive for or wish," as in your hope to become a doctor someday. To hope is to want something to happen, but if instead you said that you intend to become a doctor, that suggests becoming a doctor is more of a goal than a dream. Hope, on the other hand, is more emotional. In fact, some scholars believe it's linked in meaning to hop, in that someone who hopes "leaps in expectation."
Vocabulary lists containing hope
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"We want people to come to interview, and we hope they will go through the training and stay," the spokesman said.
From Barron's โ Sep. 28, 2026
I sincerely hope this is a love affair to remember for all the right, rather than wrong, reasons.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 28, 2026
Site owners the National Trust fenced off the stump to see if it would recover, with general manager Andrew Poad saying he is "filled with hope by the way nature is taking its course".
From BBC โ Sep. 28, 2026
Abandon all hope of having a responsible husband.
From Salon โ Sep. 28, 2026
Eugene Hammond noticed her too, saying to Dad, “I hope the young lady suffered no injury.”
From "The Teacherโs Funeral" by Richard Peck
“Today’s 9th Circuit decision is welcome news for the survivors of domestic violence and their children who depend on Jewish Family Service LA’s Hope Transitional Shelter,” the group said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 25, 2026
The slogan for this year's conference is "Hope Again".
From BBC โ Sep. 24, 2026
The shifts mean more of the world’s roughly 900 VLCCs are currently held up near Hormuz doing these short-haul shuttle runs—or sailing longer journeys around the Cape of Good Hope, pushing up costs.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 21, 2026
Actor Michael J. Fox, whose battle with Parkinson’s disease now has him using a wheelchair, was honored with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 16, 2026
Around the edge were the squares we’d made together from scraps left by the people of Hope Springs—every print and color imaginable, a real mismatched jumble that together looked perfect.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
With this new test, SpaceX hopes to usher in an "exciting new phase" of development that will include, among other things, tests of refueling the rocket in orbit.
From Barron's โ Sep. 28, 2026
The team hopes that means the best is yet to come.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 27, 2026
The director’s granddaughter Zoe Kazan hopes for similar success with her seven-part version of the novel, which stars Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Tracy Letts, Ciarán Hinds and Martha Plimpton.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 27, 2026
Wakefield Trinity produced a sensational upset to reach their first ever Super League Grand Final and end Wigan Warriors' hopes of a treble in 2026.
From BBC โ Sep. 26, 2026
But the idea of my wish getting mixed up with hundreds and hundreds of strangers’ hopes made me drop the penny back into my purse.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Chandrasekaran had earlier hoped for a unanimous reappointment, but agreed to stay on despite the split vote.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 27, 2026
St. Isidore virtual Catholic school in Oklahoma hoped to become the country’s first religious charter school, and it came close last year.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 27, 2026
Meals on Wheels said it hoped to renegotiate the service level agreement with the government to allow it to continue.
From BBC โ Sep. 26, 2026
But some members of Ethel's family said the result had not brought them the closure they'd hoped for.
From BBC โ Sep. 25, 2026
Danny hoped his gut feeling to trust the jackalope prince was right.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
France has long been a staging post for asylum seekers without visas hoping to cross the sea to Britain.
From Barron's โ Sep. 28, 2026
Uber said it consulted with Kenyan officials and its fleet before launching its service, including on pricing, hoping to keep trips affordable while also ensuring sufficient compensation for drivers.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 27, 2026
“I just threw it up hoping he’d catch it, trying to make something out of nothing.”
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 26, 2026
Because his messages and calls go largely unanswered, Luke will also watch videos posted on the university's social media accounts, hoping to catch a glimpse of his son among the throngs of Freshers.
From BBC โ Sep. 25, 2026
I was hoping Avery’s crush on Collin would make her less focused on whatever secret feelings she thinks Jonah and I have for each other, but if anything, it’s the opposite.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, ยฉ Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritageยฎ Idioms Dictionary copyright ยฉ 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
