hope

[ hohp ]

/ hoʊp /

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See synonyms for hope on Thesaurus.com

noun

the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best: to give up hope.

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), hoped, hop·ing.

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), hoped, hop·ing.

to feel that something desired may happen: We hope for an early spring.

Archaic. to place trust; rely (usually followed by in).

OTHER WORDS FOR hope

1 aspiration, expectancy, longing.

See synonyms for hope on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about hope

hope against hope, to continue to hope, although the outlook does not warrant it: We are hoping against hope for a change in her condition.

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

OTHER WORDS FROM hope

hop·er, nounhop·ing·ly, adverbself-hope, nounun·hop·ing, adjective

un·hop·ing·ly, adverb

Other definitions for hope (2 of 2)

Hope

[ hohp ]

/ hoʊp /

noun

Anthony, pen name of Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins.

Bob Leslie Townes Hope, 1903–2003, U.S. comedian, born in England.

John, 1868–1936, U.S. educator.

a town in SW Arkansas.

a female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hope in a sentence

Facing twin crises, four museum directors share their vision and hopes for the future.
Plight at the Museum|Jen Trolio|November 20, 2020|Vox
Where stocks are concerned, that ray of hope is leading pros to reconsider where they’ll earn the best returns.
The 21 best stocks to buy for 2021|Anne Sraders|November 20, 2020|Fortune
Those hopes, though, seem to rest on what happens in the Senate run-offs in Georgia, Noto said.
The cashless economy: How fintech is approaching the future of finance|McKenna Moore|November 19, 2020|Fortune
Chris Grove of the research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming said that sportsbooks are generally paying several hundreds of dollars in customer acquisition costs in hopes of acquiring lifetime values in excess of a thousand dollars per paying customer.
Free money, big addictions: Inside the booming world of online sports betting|Brett Haensel|November 15, 2020|Fortune

There’s hope for symbiosis between its left and its center if they don’t eat each other alive.
AOC isn’t picking a fight over ideology. She’s staging an intervention.|Molly Roberts|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
They had hoped the autopsy would show Brinsley had eaten something that would point them in the right direction.
Exclusive: Inside a Cop-Killer’s Final Hours|Michael Daly|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He hoped also to be a chaplain through his local church, and he was nearing the end of his formal training.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Liu had just gotten married two months before and hoped to start a family right away.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She hoped the church, which reinforced her views, would be a good environment for him, he explained.
Beaten By His Church for Being Gay|Justin Jones|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And then we planned (or hoped) to make that back in ticket sales.
How Much Money Does a Band Really Make on Tour?|Jack Conte|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To see a part of my scheme, from which I had hoped so much, go wrong before my eyes is maddening!
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
If so, it is to be hoped that, wise man as you are, the first attack of this disorder was also your last.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
He had hoped to have her reason it out with him, and he had prayed that he be given a little time, and then all would be well.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
He paid for the lunch, and tipped the waiters so liberally that they all hoped he would come again often.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
The sailors had hoped they would be able to shield the Southern point of the Peninsula by interposing their ships but they can't.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for hope (1 of 2)

hope

/ (həʊp) /

noun

(sometimes plural) a feeling of desire for something and confidence in the possibility of its fulfilmenthis hope for peace was justified; their hopes were dashed

a reasonable ground for this feelingthere is still hope

a person or thing that gives cause for hope

a thing, situation, or event that is desiredmy hope is that prices will fall

not a hope or some hope 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 fulfilmentwe hope you can come; I hope to tell you

(intr often foll by for) to have a wish (for a future event, situation, etc)

(tr; takes a clause as object) to trust, expect, or believewe hope that this is satisfactory

Derived forms of hope

hoper, noun

Word Origin for hope

Old English hopa; related to Old Frisian hope, Dutch hoop, Middle High German hoffe

British Dictionary definitions for hope (2 of 2)

Hope

/ (həʊp) /

noun

Anthony, real name Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins. 1863–1933, English novelist; author of The Prisoner of Zenda (1894)

Bob, real name Leslie Townes Hope. 1903–2003, 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 (1995–2005)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with hope

hope

In addition to the idioms beginning with hope

hope against hope
hope springs eternal

also see:

great white hope
in hopes of
live in (hope of)
not a hope in hell
pin one's hopes on
while there's life, there's hope

hope

OTHER WORDS FOR hope

Idioms about hope

Origin of hope

OTHER WORDS FROM hope

Other definitions for hope (2 of 2)

Words related to hope

How to use hope in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hope (1 of 2)

Derived forms of hope

Word Origin for hope

British Dictionary definitions for hope (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with hope