hope
A1 (One of the most frequent words in English)All registers (formal, informal, spoken, written, religious)
Definition
Meaning
A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen; to want something to happen or be true, accompanied by some confidence.
A person or thing that provides a source of optimism or grounds for expectation; a promise or potential for positive future outcomes.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies desire combined with some expectation of fulfillment. Can range from a vague wish to a confident expectation. Often used in positive contexts but can also express desperate desire (e.g., last/faint hope).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal lexical differences. 'Hope' as a noun is often used with the preposition 'for' (hope for peace). In British English, the informal phrase 'some hope!' expressing sarcastic doubt may be slightly more common. In American English, the verb is more frequently used with the infinitive ('I hope to see you') without major regional preference.
Connotations
Equally positive in both varieties. British English may retain a slightly stronger historical connection to religious/moral virtues (theological virtues: faith, hope, charity).
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both British and American corpora.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to hope that + clause (I hope that you're well.)to hope for + NP (We hope for a solution.)to hope to + infinitive (She hopes to win.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “hope against hope”
- “hope springs eternal”
- “in the hope of/that”
- “a forlorn hope”
- “some hope! (BrE, ironic)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used cautiously in forecasts and projections (e.g., 'We hope to see growth in Q3'), often tempered with data to avoid sounding unprofessional.
Academic
Used in discussions of future research, implications, and social/political aspirations. Often framed as 'It is hoped that...'.
Everyday
Ubiquitous in expressing personal desires, plans, and polite well-wishing (e.g., 'I hope you feel better').
Technical
Rare in hard sciences where certainty is required. Appears in medicine/psychology regarding patient outcomes or in policy/development contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- There's still a faint hope that the missing climbers will be found.
- The new manager is the club's great hope for promotion.
American English
- Don't give up hope; we'll find a solution.
- The treaty offers a hope for lasting peace.
verb
British English
- I do hope the train isn't delayed again.
- We're hoping for a spot of decent weather this weekend.
American English
- I hope you can make it to the party.
- They're hoping to buy a house next year.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I hope you are well.
- She has hope for the future.
- We hope to see you tomorrow.
- Despite the bad news, they haven't lost all hope.
- I hope that the meeting finishes on time.
- He is our best hope of winning the competition.
- The initial results offer a glimmer of hope for further research.
- I'm hoping against hope that my lost passport turns up.
- They had pinned all their hopes on getting the grant.
- The president's speech, while measured, was not entirely devoid of hope.
- Her resilience in the face of adversity is a testament to the human capacity for hope.
- Critics argued that the policy was a forlorn hope that would waste public funds.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of HOPE as Holding On to Positive Expectations. The 'O' in the middle can be seen as a bright, optimistic sun.
Conceptual Metaphor
HOPE IS A LIGHT (a glimmer/ray of hope), HOPE IS A JOURNEY (a path of hope), HOPE IS A FRAGILE OBJECT (shatter/crush/dash hopes), HOPE IS A PERSON (hope died, hope lives).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing 'hope' (надежда / надеяться) with 'wait' (ждать). 'I hope you come' is not the same as 'I wait for you to come'.
- Russian 'надеюсь' is often overused in English translations. English uses a variety of structures like 'Hopefully,...', 'I'm hoping...', or modal verbs.
- The phrase 'I hope so/not' has a direct equivalent ('Надеюсь, что да/нет'), but is more idiomatic and common in English.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect tense sequence: 'I hope she will come' (correct) vs. 'I hope she comes' (also correct, present simple for future).
- Using 'hope' with '-ing' form: 'I hope seeing you' is incorrect; use 'I hope to see you' or 'I hope I see you'.
- Overusing 'that' after hope in informal speech where it's often omitted.
- Confusing 'I hope' with 'I wish' for unreal present/future (e.g., 'I hope you can come' vs. 'I wish you could come').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following uses of 'hope' is grammatically INCORRECT?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Hope' expresses a desire for something possible or likely ('I hope it's sunny tomorrow'). 'Wish' often expresses a desire for something unlikely, impossible, or contrary to fact ('I wish I were taller'). 'Wish' is also used for polite formal expressions ('I wish you a merry Christmas').
Yes, though less common than the simple form. The continuous ('am hoping', 'was hoping') can emphasize the current, ongoing nature of the feeling or be used for polite tentativeness (e.g., 'I was hoping to ask you a favour').
No. The standard short responses are 'I hope so' (for agreement) and 'I hope not' (for disagreement). 'I hope no' is non-standard.
Commonly 'for' (hope for success), 'of' (in the hope of finding a job), and 'that' (the hope that things will improve). 'Hope' can also be followed by an infinitive (e.g., 'There is little hope to succeed').
Collections
Part of a collection
Emotions and Feelings
A2 · 33 words · Words to describe how you feel.