hope
/ˈhoʊp/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.44 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To want (something) to happen, with a sense of expectation that it might [with that (+ clause); or (informal) with clause; or with so or (negative) not].
verb
To intend to do something and look forward to the prospect of having done it [with to (+ infinitive)].
verb
To expect optimistically that one might get something (either a change in circumstance or an object) [with for].
Intransitive verb
noun
The feeling of trust, confidence, belief or expectation that something wished for can or will happen.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "They are hoping it does not rain, but I expect it will."
- "He's still hoping that everything will turn out fine."
- "— Is he going to shut up soon? — I hope so."
- "I'm going to get a new car. I hope it will be better than the last one."
- "I'd hoped I'd find a job, but I never did, so I was hoping you could lend me some cash."
- "I hope {to - (that) I'll} have finished by next Sat at the latest."
Etymology
From Middle English hopen, from Old English hopian (“hope”), from Proto-West Germanic *hopōn; further etymology unclear. Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian, West Frisian hoopje (“to hope”), Cimbrian hòffan (“to hope”), Dutch hopen (“to hope”), German, Luxembourgish hoffen (“to hope”), Vilamovian höfnan (“hope”), Yiddish האָפֿן (hofn, “to hope”), Danish håbe (“to hope”), Norwegian Bokmål håpe (“to hope”), Norwegian Nynorsk håpa, håpe (“to hope”), Swedish hoppas (“to hope”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhoʊp/
- British English: /ˈhəʊp/
Usage
Inflected Forms
hopes (present, singular)
hoping (participle, present)
hoped (participle, past)
hoped (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
hoped (first person, past)
hopest (archaic, present)
hoped (past, second person)
hopedst (archaic, past)
hopeth (archaic, present)
hoped (past, singular)