Word family noun hope hopefulness ≠ hopelessness hopeful adjective hopeful ≠ hopeless verb hope adverb hopefully ≠ hopelessly
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhopehope1 /həʊp $ hoʊp/ ●●● S1 W1 verb [intransitive, transitive] 1 HOPEto want something to happen or be true and to believe that it is possible or likelyhope (that) We hope that more women will decide to join the course. I do hope everything goes well. It was hoped that the job would be filled by a local person. Let’s just hope someone finds her bag. I hope to God I haven’t left the car window open.hope to do something Joan’s hoping to study law at Harvard.hope for We were hoping for good weather. Liam decided to ignore the warning and just hope for the best (=hope that a situation will end well when there is a risk of things going wrong). I rang my parents, hoping against hope (=hoping for something that is very unlikely to happen or be true) that they hadn’t left yet.2 → I hope so3 → I hope not4 → I’m hoping5 → I hope (that)6 → I should hope so (too)GRAMMAR: Patterns with hope• You hope to do something: We’re hoping to get tickets to the concert.I hope to see you soon. ✗Don’t say: I hope see you soon.• You hope that something happens: I hope that the rain stops soon.• You hope that something will happen: I hope that the weather will be fine. • You hoped that something would happen: She hoped that the weather would be fine. • You hoped that something might happen: I was hoping that you might come.• You hope that someone can do something: I hope that I can pass my exam. • You hoped that someone could do something: She hoped that she could pass her exam. • In more formal English, you say it is hoped that something will happen: It is hoped that the study will provide some useful information. • In all the above patterns, ‘that’ is often omitted, especially in spoken English: I hope the rain stops soon.She hoped the weather would be fine.• Hope is often used in the progressive: I’m hoping to meet him some day. • Hope is used in the phrases I hope so and I hope not, often to give a short answer: ‘Will he be here soon?’ ‘I hope so.’‘Do you think it will rain?’ ‘I hope not!’ ✗Don’t say: I hope it. → See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
hope• Even when everyone else thought he was dead, Julie never stopped hoping.• See you soon, I hope!• She could only hope and pray that Liza would be back to her normal self the next time she saw her.• I'm hoping for a better salary in my next job.• I said I hoped Oliver Ingraham was bringing Jasper lovely things to eat.• "Have we got enough money for the rent?'' "I don't know. I hope so.''• We hurried out of the building, hoping that no one would see us leave.• Both areas are monitored round the clock by surveillance cameras and detectives are hoping that the hoaxer has been captured on tape.• We hope that this book will help sportspeople accept their encounters with the sublime and uncanny.• It was hoped that, with more publicity, people would leave their cars at the village hall instead and walk.• I hope to have more details for you in the next Journal.• A gang leader could hope to rise up the hierarchy of a hive.• I enjoyed my time at Fontainebleau, especially wandering in the forest, hoping to see a wild boar.• Bob's hoping to travel to Africa next year.hope (that)• Some women I have looked after with hope but without good fortune.• I hope everything is okay.• He added that many market watchers had been hoping for some type of agreement or definitive news yesterday.• Everything she said was in the hope of being quoted.• Jo was hoping that Jamal would come tonight.• I'm hoping that the package will come today while I'm here.• I hope they get that snake I saw.• Enough, he hoped, to form several companies and carry on the fight, using guerrilla tactics.• All men can know or can ever hope to know is to be found in the Scriptures.• Charles came to Bourges in January 841, hoping to meet Pippin.• Perhaps I had personally failed the causes I hoped to serve.hopehope2 ●●● S2 W2 noun 1 feeling [countable, uncountable]HOPE a feeling of wanting something to happen or be true and believing that it is possible or likely When I first arrived in New York, I was full of hope for the future.the hope that The president has expressed the hope that relations will improve.hopes for something hopes for an end to the fightinghopes of doing something Rita has hopes of studying to be a nurse.in the hope that Should they hang on in the hope that the shares will go up in value?in the hope of doing something (=because you hope that you will do something) Shoppers flocked to the sales in the hope of finding a bargain.2 something you hope for [countable]HOPE something that you hope will happen She told him all her secret hopes and fears.somebody’s hope is that My hope is that by next summer I’ll have saved enough money to go travelling.3 chance [countable, uncountable]CHANCE/OPPORTUNITY a chance of succeeding or of something good happeninghope of It was the rush hour, and there was no hope of getting a seat. It was a desperate plan, with little hope of success.hope (that) There’s still a faint hope (=a very small chance) that the two sides will reach an agreement.not a hope! spoken (=used to say that there is no chance of something happening)not a hope in hell (of doing something) spoken (=not even the smallest chance of success) They don’t have a hope in hell of winning.some hope! (also what a hope! British English) spoken (=used humorously to say that there is no chance that something will happen) ‘Your dad might lend you the car.’ ‘Some hope!’4 → be somebody’s last/only/best hope5 → be beyond hope6 → have high/great hopes for somebody/something7 → I/we live in hopeCOLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2verbshave hopeThe situation looked bad, but we still had hope that things would get better soon.give/offer hopeThe research has given hope to thousands of sufferers of the disease.lose/give up/abandon hope (=stop hoping)After so long without any word from David, Margaret was starting to lose hope.raise somebody’s hopes (also get/build somebody's hopes up) (=make someone feel that what they want is likely to happen)I don't want to raise your hopes too much.Don’t build your hopes up, Julie. You’ll only get hurt.hold out hope (=say that you think something is likely)Negotiators did not hold out much hope of a peaceful solution.pin your hopes on something (=hope for one thing that everything else depends on)After a difficult year, the company is pinning its hopes on its new range of products.cling to the hope that (=keep hoping that something will happen, even though it seems unlikely)They clung to the hope that one day a cure would be found. dash/shatter somebody’s hopes (=make what someone wants seem impossible)The ending of the talks has dashed any hopes of peace.hopes are fading (=people have much less hope of doing something)Hopes are fading that rescuers will find any more survivors.hope lies in/with something (=something gives people hope)Our real hope lies with a vaccine.phrasesbe full of hopeHis voice sounded full of hope.a glimmer/ray of hope (=a little hope, or something that gives you a little hope)The new treatment gives patients a glimmer of hope.somebody’s hopes and dreams (=all the things someone hopes for)We talked about all our hopes and dreams for the future.somebody’s hopes and fears (=all the things someone hopes for and is afraid of)The crew members have different hopes and fears about the trip.it is our fervent hope that formal (=used when saying that you hope very much that something will or will not happen)It is our fervent hope that change is coming.hope springs eternal (=used to say that people will always hope for something)It is unlikely these diets will work, but hope springs eternal.a symbol/beacon of hope (=something that makes people have hope)Mandela was a symbol of hope for his whole country.adjectivesfalse hopeWe don't want to give people false hopes.a vain/forlorn hope (=hope for something that is impossible)He traveled south in the vain hope of finding work.somebody's only/one hopeMy only hope is that someone may have handed in the keys to the police. Examples from the Corpus
hope• If our dreams are not coming true, if depression plagues our steps, we should remember that there is always hope.• What these entities ultimately accomplish may be academic; but their mere existence should give doomsayers cause for hope.• Everett soon forgot all his hopes of fame and fortune.• We haven't had much success yet. but we live in hope.• My hope is a more settled and competent defence this season will help him re-gain a lot of confidence.• My hope is that Peter will realize his mistake and apologize.• Recent reports of a ceasefire agreement have given us new hope.• Most of these youths have no jobs and no hope for the future.• We now have no hope of finding any more survivors.• Doone, with his promise of instant detection once I woke up, must have been the end of hope.• Thousands of emigrants set off for the New World full of hope.• The Queen sent a message of hope and sympathy to the American people.• Her one hope was an operation to ease the pain.• Your donation can fulfill the hopes and dreams of a child this Christmas.• The business projections he gave me were hopes rather than realities.• Without the strike, and without stock, what hope is there for labor?hopes for something• He was by then utterly winded, and hoping for a respite.• Members of political action committees might have hoped for a little breather before being hit up again for money.• Once the best you could hope for was a 50-year-old prima ballerina who sometimes starred at the local opera house.• She was hoping for a course of physical therapy.• The army had said we would average fifteen, but I had hoped for eighteen and had told them so.• The news encouraged some dollar selling by players who hoped for an even narrower surplus.• The nice thing about volatility is that it leaves hope for all the candidates going into Iowa on Feb. 12.• A junior college recruit she had great hopes for is not coming along fast enough.hope of• Hine realized there was no hope of reaching the mountaintop before dark.• Grant was forced to abandon the hope of re-election.Origin hope1 Old English hopian 