hoped; hoping
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
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.
hoper
noun
1
a
: 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 for
great hopes for the coming year
Synonyms
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2023
Travelers hoping to book a flight for one of those big fall or winter holidays should start tracking and thinking about booking now.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2023
Tapping into public unease about the short-term costs of decarbonizing the economy (rather than attempting to do anything about that) is now a wedge issue that the Tories hope to exploit against Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, which is timid and easily spooked about such things.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2023
China hoped Fiji would be a template for the Pacific, but Fijians soured on some of the police actions, and last year China failed to forge a sweeping security pact with 10 Pacific island nations.
—Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023
Donald Trump is hoping that House Republicans will use the government shutdown to stop the criminal prosecutions against him.
—Edith Olmsted, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2023
The International Sustainability Standards Board hopes its climate framework, completed this past summer, becomes the global baseline.
—David Breg, WSJ, 21 Sep. 2023
Cases started rising again in late summer, and experts hope that the new shots will help protect people during the upcoming fall respiratory virus season.
—Nbc Universal, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023
In the absence of Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, President Biden had hoped to rally support for Ukraine abroad as voters from both parties have begun to question the U.S. ongoing military aid.
—USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023
James McClain, Robb Report, 22 Sep. 2023
What explains those contradictions is that many Americans vote more out of fear than hope.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Still, the announcement of progress at Ford raised hopes that the strike, at least at there, could be brought to a relatively quick end.
—Chris Isidore, CNN, 22 Sep. 2023
But as the logic of the Cold War took hold, those hopes curdled.
—Samuel Clowes Huneke, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2023
Mims is a stash candidate in hopes Sean Payton and Russell Wilson utilize one of the few explosive players on their offense more often.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2023
For the first time in franchise history, each judge will compete alongside the contestants and will mentor and guide the acts throughout the competition in the hopes that their team will earn the title of champion.
—Breanna Bell, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023
Recommended Leaders of Britain and France, despite sharing Mr. Biden’s hope for a reinvigorated, more effective U.N., have increasingly prioritized other forums since the Ukraine war, such as NATO, the G7 group of the world’s leading economies, and the wider G20 economic grouping.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2023
The unlikely pair became a couple after Burkhart moved to Oklahoma in the 1920s in hopes of striking it rich in the Osage oil boom.
—Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023
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Verb
In August alone, more than 80,000 people crossed Panama's Darién Gap, a monthly record high for a roadless and mountainous jungle that has become a major transit destination for hundreds of thousands of migrants hoping to reach the U.S. each year, according to Panamanian officials.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2023
Travelers hoping to book a flight for one of those big fall or winter holidays should start tracking and thinking about booking now.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2023
Tapping into public unease about the short-term costs of decarbonizing the economy (rather than attempting to do anything about that) is now a wedge issue that the Tories hope to exploit against Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, which is timid and easily spooked about such things.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2023
China hoped Fiji would be a template for the Pacific, but Fijians soured on some of the police actions, and last year China failed to forge a sweeping security pact with 10 Pacific island nations.
—Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023
Donald Trump is hoping that House Republicans will use the government shutdown to stop the criminal prosecutions against him.
—Edith Olmsted, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2023
The International Sustainability Standards Board hopes its climate framework, completed this past summer, becomes the global baseline.
—David Breg, WSJ, 21 Sep. 2023
Cases started rising again in late summer, and experts hope that the new shots will help protect people during the upcoming fall respiratory virus season.
—Nbc Universal, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023
In the absence of Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, President Biden had hoped to rally support for Ukraine abroad as voters from both parties have begun to question the U.S. ongoing military aid.
—USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023
Noun
But for folks upset by Milstein’s plans, all hope is not yet lost.
—James McClain, Robb Report, 22 Sep. 2023
What explains those contradictions is that many Americans vote more out of fear than hope.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Still, the announcement of progress at Ford raised hopes that the strike, at least at there, could be brought to a relatively quick end.
—Chris Isidore, CNN, 22 Sep. 2023
But as the logic of the Cold War took hold, those hopes curdled.
—Samuel Clowes Huneke, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2023
Mims is a stash candidate in hopes Sean Payton and Russell Wilson utilize one of the few explosive players on their offense more often.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2023
For the first time in franchise history, each judge will compete alongside the contestants and will mentor and guide the acts throughout the competition in the hopes that their team will earn the title of champion.
—Breanna Bell, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023
Recommended Leaders of Britain and France, despite sharing Mr. Biden’s hope for a reinvigorated, more effective U.N., have increasingly prioritized other forums since the Ukraine war, such as NATO, the G7 group of the world’s leading economies, and the wider G20 economic grouping.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2023
The unlikely pair became a couple after Burkhart moved to Oklahoma in the 1920s in hopes of striking it rich in the Osage oil boom.
—Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Phrases Containing hope
Articles Related to hope
Dictionary Entries Near hope
Cite this Entry
“Hope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
hope
1 of 2 verb
hoped; hoping
: to desire something and expect that it will happen or be obtained
hope to succeed
hope you'll accept the invitation
hope for a bicycle
hope
2 of 2 noun1
archaic
: trust entry 1 sense 1a, reliance
our hope is in the king
2
a
: desire accompanied by expectation of fulfillment
in hope of an early recovery
b
: someone or something on which hopes are centered
a home run was the only hope for victory
c
: something hoped for
Geographical Definition
Hope
geographical name
city in southwestern Arkansas that was the childhood home of President Bill Clinton population 10,095
Biographical Definition
Hope
2 of 3biographical name (2)
Bob 1903–2003 originally Leslie Townes Hope American (British-born) comedian
Hope
3 of 3biographical name (3)
Victor Alexander John 1887–1951 2nd Marquis of
Linlithgow
lin-ˈlith-(ˌ)gō 
British soldier; viceroy of India (1936–43)
British soldier; viceroy of India (1936–43)
More from Merriam-Webster on hope
Nglish: Translation of hope for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of hope for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hope
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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