Definition of HOPE (original) (raw)
1
: to cherish a desire with anticipation : to want something to happen or be true
1
: to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment
2
: to expect with confidence : trust
Your mother is doing well, I hope.
1
a
: desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment
came in hopes of seeing you
also : expectation of fulfillment or success
when they were young and full of hope
b
: someone or something on which hopes are centered
our only hope for victory
c
: something desired or hoped for
great hopes for the coming year
Phrases
hope against hope
: to hope without any basis for expecting fulfillment
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for hope
expect, hope, look mean to await some occurrence or outcome.
expect implies a high degree of certainty and usually involves the idea of preparing or envisioning.
expects to be finished by Tuesday
hope implies little certainty but suggests confidence or assurance in the possibility that what one desires or longs for will happen.
look, with to, implies assurance that expectations will be fulfilled
looks to a tidy profit from the sale
; with for it implies less assurance and suggests an attitude of expectancy and watchfulness.
look for rain when the wind shifts to the northeast
Examples of hope in a Sentence
Verb
No one knows yet if anyone survived the crash. At this point, we can only hope. I hope you're feeling better soon. That's what she hoped would happen. Let's hope that the strike ends soon. I hope I haven't bored you. Everyone in your family is well, I hope. Noun
When they started their life together, they were young and full of hope. Rescuers have not yet abandoned hope that more survivors will be found. The drug has brought hope to thousands of sufferers. We allowed ourselves to entertain hopes that the crisis would end soon. The goal raised the hopes of the team. The hope is that there will be a settlement soon. The lawyers do not want to raise false hopes of an early settlement. He told them the truth with the hope that they would understand. He had little hope of attending college. The latest reports hold out hope for a possible end to this crisis.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Harris hopes organizing juggernaut can overcome Trump’s narrow lead The Harris campaign has flooded Arizona with staffers and volunteers who knock on hundreds of thousands of doors and send millions of text messages, according to one of the leaders of the effort. —
Stephanie Murray, The Arizona Republic, 30 Oct. 2024 North Carolina resident Leslie hopes to open her eight-year-old bottle of champagne (seen here) when Harris wins. —Andrew Zucker, Glamour, 30 Oct. 2024
Rethink hopes to avoid a similar top-down planning process. —Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024 Some train in the hope of eventually joining the armed forces. —David Axe, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hope 
Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English, from Old English hopian; akin to Middle High German hoffen to hope
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of hope was before the 12th century
Dictionary Entries Near hope
Cite this Entry
“Hope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
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Last Updated: 2 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences
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