pin one's hopes on

Idioms

Also, pin one's faith on. Put one's hope or trust in someone or something, as in She'd pinned her hopes on an early acceptance to the college but it didn't materialize. This term, dating from the 1500s, originated as pin one's faith on another's sleeve and may have alluded to the practice of soldiers wearing their leader's insignia on their sleeves. By the 1800s, however, it acquired its present form.

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.

On paper, “Jane the Virgin” seems like a wacky thing to pin one’s hopes on.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 10, 2015

On paper, "Jane the Virgin" seems like a wacky thing to pin one's hopes on.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2015

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023