hope

verb

\ ˈhōp

hoped; hoping

Definition of hope

(Entry 1 of 6)

1 : to cherish a desire with anticipation : to want something to happen or be true hopes for a promotion hoping for the best I hope so.

2 archaic : trust

transitive verb

1 : to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment I hope she remembers. hopes to be invited

2 : to expect with confidence : trust Your mother is doing well, I hope.

hope against hope

: to hope without any basis for expecting fulfillment

hope

noun

Definition of hope (Entry 2 of 6)

1 archaic : trust, reliance

2a : desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment came in hopes of seeing you also : expectation of fulfillment or success no hope of a cure 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 (see hope entry 1) for great hopes for the coming year

Hope

biographical name (1)

\ ˈhōp

Definition of Hope (Entry 3 of 6)

Anthony — see Sir Anthony Hope hawkins

Hope

biographical name (2)

Definition of Hope (Entry 4 of 6)

Bob 1903–2003 originally Leslie Townes Hope American (British-born) comedian

Hope

biographical name (3)

Definition of Hope (Entry 5 of 6)

Victor Alexander John 1887–1951 2nd Marquis of Linlithgow \ lin-ˈlith-(ˌ)gō

How to pronounce lin-ˈlith-(ˌ)gō (audio)

\ British soldier; viceroy of India (1936–43)

Hope

geographical name

Definition of Hope (Entry 6 of 6)

city in southwestern Arkansas that was the childhood home of President Bill Clinton population 10,095

Other Words from hope Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about hope

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Choose the Right Synonym for hope

Verb

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. hopes to find a job soon 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: Verb

Let’s hope the two sides find a way to compromise—without any beer getting hurt in the process. — Andrew Daniels, Popular Mechanics, "Trappist Monks Are Fighting to Save the Water in Their Sacred Beer," 2 May 2019 Let’s hope for more, but in the meantime- thank you for an unforgettable 22 episodes as Mandy Baxter. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "'Last Man Standing' Star Molly McCook Pens a Candid Letter About Her Time on the Show," 23 Mar. 2019 The main story line will follow Mars as she’s hired by two parents who hope to find their son’s killer. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Summer TV Preview: 9 Shows We Can’t Wait to Watch," 19 Apr. 2019 Even those eager to learn can only hope to keep up with a few subjects on their own. — David Roberts, Vox, "My advice for aspiring explainer journalists," 9 Dec. 2018 Yet as of last night, there's been another plot twist, which came in the form of interest from another investment group—which means there's still hope for WOW Air. — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "Is Wow Air—and Its $99 Flights—Going Away?," 30 Nov. 2018 With just one month until the midterms, Democrats still hope for a blue wave while Republicans feel more optimistic about keeping control of both houses of Congress. — Fox News, "McConnell on marshalling the votes to confirm Kavanaugh," 7 Oct. 2018 The companies hope that the Defiant is the culmination of a decade-long effort known as the Future Vertical Life (FVL). — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Will the Defiant Be the Helicopter That Finally Replaces the Black Hawk?," 26 Dec. 2018 With Minneapolis 2040, officials hope to head off the housing shortage, all while showing how land-use policy can address critical climate challenges and the city’s history of racial inequality. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Here’s what a plan to tackle climate change, density, and affordability looks like," 27 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

As a complete goofball who is easily distracted, I’m drawn to Moore’s composure and hope to soak it up a little bit through YouTube osmosis. — Hannah Chenoweth, SELF, "The 9 Best YouTube Yoga Channels I Discovered While Practicing Yoga at Home for 6 Years," 5 May 2019 Creative expression tends to happen on a spectrum between reality and the sublime—conveying hopes and aspirations while also drawing attention to difficult truths. — Kristina O’neill, WSJ, "WSJ. Magazine Editor’s Letter: The Long View," 2 May 2019 Princess Diana attends in 1996 If Princess Di showed up to the Met Gala in 1996, does that mean there’s still hope of an appearance by Kate Middleton in the future? — Vogue, "The Craziest Celebrity Moments in Met Gala History," 29 Apr. 2019 Fans had a glimmer of hope that this signaled Time Bandit's triumphant return to Deadliest Catch season 15, but any plans were foiled by an unexpected malfunction last year—the boat's engine exploded. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "This Is Why 'Deadliest Catch' Won't Feature the Time Bandit Anymore," 28 Apr. 2019 In fact, Palmer says she's lost all hope of ever collecting a penny. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "“He never paid us a cent”—man suing Tesla has his own lawsuit-filled past," 31 Oct. 2018 Longtime viewers of the show had always held out hope for an NCIS-JAG crossover. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "A 'JAG' Reunion Is Coming to 'NCIS: LA' and We Are Losing It," 7 Apr. 2019 Hundreds of tourists flock its stoop year-round to take photos with the red door in hopes of bringing back some of the magic the show brought into our lives. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Wake Up, San Francisco: The Full House Home is Going on the Market Soon," 1 Apr. 2019 Still, Disney's hopes of a Princess Bride musical haven't faded. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "The Princess Bride Is Being Made into a Musical," 26 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hope.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.