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hope

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb hope contrast with its synonyms?

The words expect and look are common synonyms of hope. While all three words mean "to await some occurrence or outcome," 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

When is expect a more appropriate choice than hope?

In some situations, the words expect and hope are roughly equivalent. However, expect implies a high degree of certainty and usually involves the idea of preparing or envisioning.

expects to be finished by Tuesday

When would look be a good substitute for hope?

While the synonyms look and hope are close in meaning, look, with to, implies assurance that expectations will be fulfilled; with for it implies less assurance and suggests an attitude of expectancy and watchfulness.

looks to a tidy profit from the sale
look for rain when the wind shifts to the northeast

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hope
Verb
For Marvel, the simultaneous glut in content and drop in its quality have had an impact on box office for its feature films, which have not performed as well as the studio had hoped post-Avengers: Endgame. Eliana Dockterman, Time, 22 Apr. 2025 Image India warmly welcomed Vance Vice President JD Vance began a four-day visit to India yesterday and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a time when the country hopes to dodge steep U.S. tariffs. Justin Porter, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
Researchers plan to improve the sensitivity of the tests in the next study in hopes of reducing cases like these. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025 Prior to the procession, Camerlengo Kevin Farrell, the cardinal tasked with arranging the papal funeral and conclave, held a brief service in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta with a short antiphon of hope. Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hope
Verb
  • Several countries have toughened advisories for citizens wishing to travel to the U.S. under the Trump administration — warning them there could be greater scrutiny at borders after some foreign travelers were turned back.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
  • So both of us very much wish to find our own places.
    Esther Kang, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • For months, Beijing has been projecting an air of strength and confidence in its ability to withstand an escalating trade war with the US.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Correlation isn’t causation, but continuity and confidence just might be contagious.
    Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Trump has upended the global trading system that has been in place for over 75 years with a plan for tariffs on products from across the world.
    Chris Prentice, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • As part of the U.S. plan, the yearslong war would be considered frozen, the EU sources told Bloomberg.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But politics comes most alive through the personal, and the heart of the musical lies in its characters’ dreams: those that conflict with others, those that are deferred and, most poignantly, those that are never realized.
    Frank Rizzo, Variety, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The junior at Fullerton Union High dreams of starting her own tap company and elevating the presence of tap in the dance world.
    Theresa Walker 2, Oc Register, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Culture Contribution Who strengthens others, builds trust and reinforces values?
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The basic idea is to start with something large and compact it down for easy transport.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Deporting supposed gang members and Hamas supporters without due process may violate any number of statutes, but forcing oppositionists to defend these people’s rights allows the administration to paint them as defending their ideas.
    Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Mikko has food aversion, often eating only certain colors and textures, so the family looks for grocery stores and lodging that have a kitchen or at least a microwave.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The Bombers will look for better results against Tanner Bibee on Tuesday.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Christ True Church and the Virginia Beach baptisms Small and family-oriented, Jesus Christ True Church, 2145 NW 50th St., is a nondenominational church that’s a part of the Apostolic faith, which means it’s rooted in Pentecostal beliefs.
    Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Yet faith, as the twentieth-century theologian Paul Tillich said, requires risk.
    Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hope. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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