hope
noun
the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
were hoping
-
past progressiveof hope.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
But with more frequent inflation shocks, they may instead end up paying even higher rates, or at the very least not secure the reduction that they were hoping for.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Heading into Wednesday’s Federal Reserve decision, investors were hoping an interest-rate hike from the central bank could steady a shaky bond market and take some pressure off stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
"We were hoping and praying that the climbers were above the avalanche," the first trekker continues.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Rookie Jake Slaughter moves to that critical spot, and although the second-round pick played that position in college, the Chargers were hoping to start him at guard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
“We were hoping to see a mother and her cubs!” a Canadian woman said as they rolled back to town.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
