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:
"I really hope so," Brown replied when asked if he thought Allen would reconsider retiring.
From BBC โ Oct. 20, 2026
The Houston Texans hope that catching passes from his former Ohio State quarterback can fix Marvin Harrison Jr.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 20, 2026
Reports that the College Football Playoff could expand from 12 to 24 teams in 2027 offer new hope for USC and UCLA, neither of which has reached the field.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 20, 2026
But I’m increasingly trying to separate how I imagine a gathering will look from how I hope it will feel.
From Salon โ Oct. 20, 2026
I want to feel their limitless hope and resolve.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
“Il Fornaio takes harassment seriously and will continue to do everything possible to prevent and eliminate harassment in the workplace against all workers,” attorney Hope Case said in an email.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 18, 2026
But that evening, the Lindner Center of Hope posted on X to correct the record: Talarico had never been a patient.
From Slate โ Oct. 16, 2026
Jasmin Strange and Connie Boyd will make their international debuts, while uncapped Hope Millard is among the interchanges.
From BBC โ Oct. 13, 2026
“Metro Mining would need to average roughly 860,000 tons/month across the final three months of 2026 to hit the bottom end of former guidance” of 6.6 million-7.1 million tons, analyst Matthew Hope says.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 13, 2026
Before moving to Hope Springs, the idea of Arletta Paisley within spitting distance would’ve caused me to fly into a million pieces.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Evans and Holmes agreed to participate in the documentary in hopes of changing the public perception of her.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 20, 2026
That was 6% below consensus hopes, RBC says.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 20, 2026
Elliot Newton, director of rewilding at Citizen Zoo, said the company hopes to roll out more projects to preserve plants in the face of climate change.
From BBC โ Oct. 19, 2026
He clearly hopes his bravado will woo some of the network’s audience, just as it won over Watters.
From Salon โ Oct. 19, 2026
The rest of the villagers would remain behind to care for the children, although Aunt Shuvai’s baby was being taken along in hopes that they could buy milk at the trading post.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Just as the organizers had hoped, the demonstration caught the attention of users on X and other social-media platforms, where some contrasted the relatively tame demonstration with the more chaotic protests unfolding in Europe.
From MarketWatch โ Oct. 20, 2026
Investors had hoped for more robustgrowth, given that the streamer increased its content budget 11% to $20 billion.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 19, 2026
At first glance, Trent performed as Fox producers no doubt hoped he might.
From Salon โ Oct. 19, 2026
Scott has not said why she left this role but told BBC Sport she was "grateful" for the opportunities she had at Disney+ and hoped to "continue working together" in the future.
From BBC โ Oct. 16, 2026
Danny hoped his gut feeling to trust the jackalope prince was right.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
He and Smith are working together on advancing a new pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific coast, hoping to export Alberta bitumen to Asia.
From Barron's โ Oct. 20, 2026
Still, there is something peculiar about postponing industry-wide traceability requirements while ordinary shoppers are left scanning their broccoli with smartphones, hoping to learn something useful about where it came from.
From Salon โ Oct. 19, 2026
Instead, they signed Blake Grupe, desperately hoping he could patch up their dreadful special teams play.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 19, 2026
A team has travelled to Nikumaroro Island, part of Kiribati, hoping to solve the mystery of the famed aviator's disappearance by investigating the so-called Taraia Object, spotted in the atoll's lagoon in aerial imagery.
From BBC โ Oct. 18, 2026
I think about how eager Parker was all day, hoping I’d come through for him so he could talk to Jillian about things not pertaining to a food order.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
