HOPE Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

hope 1 of 2

verb

Definition of hope

as in to wish

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Relevance

hope

2 of 2

noun

as in hopefulness

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

as in confidence

Related Words

as in plan

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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

The challenges also come as Democrats hope to take control of at least one of the chambers of Congress in November’s midterm elections. — Margie Cullen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, outside the five districts that Democrats hope to switch, there are safely Democratic districts where progressive candidates are jousting with mainstream rivals, a subset of the national party’s ideological conflict. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026

Noun

For Araujo, the hope for a better economy does not take away his frustrations with the government. — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026 But comparisons aside, this is unmistakably a Lee Chang-dong film, its aching humanism reflecting the co-existence of despair and hope. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hope

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hope

Verb

Al Pacino was unable to attend the press conference earlier in the day but sent a video message from America wishing the cast and crew well for the premiere.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Vasseur did not wish to discuss the possible final 2026 championship outlook, saying his attention was purely on present performance and taking steps; focus on the process, not the outcome.

— Luke Smith, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of wish

Noun

Hope and persistence pay off Some of the happiest children are those who maintain a sense of hopefulness and possibility.

— Liz Rosenberg, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026
The other half is King’s reaction, memorized by fans who grew up in the hopefulness of the Rose years.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026

Definition of hopefulness

Noun

Jonesboro is 2-0 for the first time since 2019 and should have four quarters of confidence after back-to-back one-score wins.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
To reach the quarterfinals in New York, Zheng had to accept her newfound station in tennis — not to abandon her confidence for the sake of humility, but to combine her natural self-belief with acceptance of her reality and a new perspective.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of confidence

Noun

Depending on your situation, a debt management plan, debt consolidation or simply negotiating directly with creditors may be a better option.

— Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 7 Sep. 2026
Their plan to find a long-term answer at QB appears centered on the 2027 draft, which is expected to feature a more talented class with the likes of Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Julian Sayin and CJ Carr.

— Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of plan

Noun

But history shows that tech dominance is fragile when user trust breaks down.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Every solution is designed to augment human expertise rather than replace it, ensuring AI strengthens decision-making while maintaining accountability, transparency, and trust.

— Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of trust

Noun

The new experiment tested those competing ideas by deliberately weakening the electron interactions.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
But the head of Germany’s central bank, who is also a member of the European Central Bank Governing Council, said Melenchon’s debt cancelation idea would be forbidden under the currency bloc’s rules and could lead to hyperinflation.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of idea

Verb

If Lopez keeps playing this freely, the Deacons will make that prediction — and UNC’s handling of him — look ridiculous.

— The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
In auditioning a snake, Ziegfeld looks each one in the eye, face-to-face, to evaluate the snake’s demeanor.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of look

Browse Nearby Words

hop

hope

hope chest

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Style

“Hope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hope. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hope

verb

noun

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Synonyms of hope

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

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