INDEX:
1. to hope that something will happen or that something is true
2. what you say when you hope something will happen
3. a feeling of hope
4. to hope for something even when it is unlikely
5. unreasonable hopes
6. making you feel more hope
7. what you say when you hope something does not happen
8. to stop hoping
9. when there is no hope of improvement or success
10. a feeling that it is useless to hope
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ WANT/NOT WANT
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1. to hope that something will happen or that something is true
▷ hope /həʊp/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
▪ See you soon, I hope!
▪ Even when everyone else thought he was dead, Julie never stopped hoping.
hope (that)
▪ We hurried out of the building, hoping that no one would see us leave.
hope to do something
▪ Bob’s hoping to travel to Africa next year.
hope for
▪ I’m hoping for a better salary in my next job.
I hope so
spoken
▪ ‘Have we got enough money for the rent?’ ‘I don’t know. I hope so.’
hope and pray
▪ She could only hope and pray that Liza would be back to her normal self the next time she saw her.
hope [countable noun]
▪ Everett soon forgot all his hopes of fame and fortune.
▪ My hope is that Peter will realize his mistake and apologize.
▷ hopeful /ˈhəʊpf ə l/ [adjective]
hoping that something good is likely to happen :
▪ We don’t know if Gascoigne will be fit to play in Saturday’s game, but we’re all hopeful.
hopeful (that)
▪ I’m quite hopeful that I’ll get the job.
hopeful about
▪ James felt more hopeful about his future after his chat with his professor.
be hopeful of (doing) something
British
▪ The local police are hopeful of catching those responsible for the graffiti.
hopefully [adverb]
▪ ‘Will there be any food left over?’ he asked hopefully.
▷ keep your fingers crossed /ˌkiːp jɔːʳ ˈfɪŋgəʳz ˌkrɒstǁ-ˌkrɔːst/ [verb phrase]
use this to say that you hope that something will happen the way you want, when you cannot do anything to affect what happens :
▪ ‘Have you had your test results yet?’ ‘No. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed.’
▪ Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that this idea of yours works.
▷ hope for the best /ˌhəʊp fəʳ ðə ˈbest/ [verb phrase]
to hope that a situation will end well, when it is possible that something might go wrong :
▪ He never uses a recipe. He just throws all kinds of food into a pan and hopes for the best.
▪ Every expectant mother goes into labour hoping for the best
▷ in the hope that British /in hopes that American /ɪn ðə ˈhəʊp ðət, ɪn ˈhəʊps ðət/
if you do something in the hope that it will have a good result, you do it because you hope it will make something good happen :
▪ He showed me a photo of his wife, in the hope that I might have seen her.
▪ He was rejecting Nancy in hopes that something better might develop with Lydia.
▷ optimistic /ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk◂, ˌɒptəˈmɪstɪk◂ǁˌɑːp-/ [adjective]
hoping and expecting that everything will happen in the best way possible :
▪ Although his lawyers were optimistic, they couldn’t be sure about the final outcome of the trial.
▪ The Democrats went into this election in an optimistic mood.
optimistic about
▪ I am very optimistic about the future of our company.
cautiously optimistic
optimistic, but realizing that a good result is not definite
▪ The patient is still in a critical condition but doctors say they are cautiously optimistic that he will make a full recovery.
optimistically [adverb]
▪ Tom said rather optimistically that we could finish the job in a day or two.
▷ pin your hopes on /ˌpɪn jɔːʳ ˈhəʊps ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to hope that one particular thing will happen, because your happiness or all your other plans depend on this :
▪ Sue is pinning all her hopes on getting this job.
▪ ‘I do hope she remembers.’ ‘Don’t pin your hopes on it’, warned David.
▷ have high hopes /hæv ˌhaɪ ˈhəʊps/ [verb phrase]
to be very hopeful and excited about something, so that you would be very disappointed if it did not happen :
have high hopes of doing something
▪ Sam has high hopes of going to university next year.
▪ Despite our differences, we came here with high hopes of signing a new treaty.
have high hopes for
▪ Japanese car manufacturers have high hopes for increased profits in Europe.
2. what you say when you hope something will happen
▷ hopefully /ˈhəʊpf ə li/ [adverb] spoken
say this when you hope something will happen :
▪ He’s been resting today, so hopefully he’ll be feeling better tomorrow.
▪ Hopefully we can find a way of solving this problem.
▷ with any luck also with a little luck /wɪð ˌeni ˈlʌk, wɪð ə ˌlɪtl ˈlʌk/ spoken
say this when you hope something will happen, even though there is a small chance it might not :
▪ With any luck, we’ll have this finished by the end of the day.
▪ With a little luck, Ruth will forget all about the party.
▷ let’s hope /lets ˈhəʊp/ spoken
say this when you hope that something will happen, especially because it will be very unpleasant if it does not :
▪ Let’s hope we can find a parking space.
▪ The whole thing has been nothing but heartache and worry. Let’s hope nothing like it ever happens again.
▷ if all goes well /ɪf ˌɔːl gəʊz ˈwel/ spoken
say this when you hope something will be successful, but you know that success depends on everything happening in the right way :
▪ If all goes well, I’ll be sailing from Vera Cruz in about a week.
▪ The tunnel should be finished by 2010 if all goes well.
3. a feeling of hope
▷ hope /həʊp/ [uncountable noun]
the feeling that you have when you hope something will happen and you think it is likely to happen :
▪ The Queen sent a message of hope and sympathy to the American people.
hope of
▪ We now have no hope of finding any more survivors.
hope for
▪ Most of these youths have no jobs and no hope for the future.
be full of hope
▪ Thousands of emigrants set off for the New World full of hope.
give/offer somebody hope
▪ Recent reports of a ceasefire agreement have given us new hope.
live in hope
keep hoping for something
▪ We haven’t had much success yet. but we live in hope.
▷ optimism /ˈɒptɪmɪz ə m, ˈɒptəmɪz ə mǁˈɑːp-/ [uncountable noun]
the feeling that everything will happen in the way you want it to or that good things will happen in the future :
▪ There is a mood of optimism among Socialist Party supporters tonight.
▪ the optimism of the post-war period
4. to hope for something even when it is unlikely
▷ hope against hope (that)/cling to the hope that /ˌhəʊp əgenst ˈhəʊp (ðət), ˌklɪŋ tə ðə ˈhəʊp ðət/ [verb phrase]
to continue to hope very much that something is true or will happen, even when you know it is extremely unlikely :
▪ Daniel waited all day, hoping against hope that Annie would change her mind and come back.
▪ James was still clinging to the hope that Jo might have made a mistake.
▷ get your hopes up spoken also build up your hopes British /ˌget jɔːʳ ˈhəʊps ʌp, ˌbɪlk ʌp jɔːʳ ˈhəʊps/ [verb phrase]
to get excited because you hope something will happen, usually when you are later disappointed because it does not :
▪ I would have told you about this earlier, but I didn’t want to get your hopes up.
▪ I may be able to arrange something, but please don’t get your hopes up.
▷ on the off chance that /ɒn ði ˈɒf ˌtʃɑːns ðətǁ-ˌtʃæns-/ [conjunction] informal
if you do something on the off chance that another thing will happen, you do it because you hope the other thing will happen, even though it seems unlikely :
▪ They got to the man as quickly as they could, on the off chance that he was still alive, but he was not.
5. unreasonable hopes
▷ wishful thinking /ˌwɪʃf ə l ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/ [uncountable noun]
when something you hope for or want to believe is very unlikely to happen or to be true :
▪ I think she likes me -- but maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part!
▪ Hopes that scientists have found a cure for baldness now seem based more on wishful thinking than reality.
▷ pipe-dream /ˈpaɪp driːm/ [countable noun]
something pleasant or exciting that you like to imagine happening, but which is very unlikely to happen :
▪ I’d always wanted to travel around the world, but it seemed nothing more than a pipe-dream.
▪ ‘What do you think the chances are of lasting peace in the Middle East?’ ‘I think it’s all just a pipe-dream.’
▷ pie in the sky /ˌpaɪ ɪn ðə ˈskaɪ/ [noun phrase] informal
an idea or plan that is pie in the sky is one that someone wishes or hopes will happen, but is unlikely to happen because it is not very practical :
▪ Any talk of getting a reasonable response from the terrorists is just pie in the sky.
6. making you feel more hope
▷ hopeful /ˈhəʊpf ə l/ [adjective]
▪ The fact that the two sides have agreed to hold negotiations is an extremely hopeful sign.
look hopeful
▪ Things might get better, but it isn’t looking very hopeful right now.
sound hopeful
▪ At the interview they told me I was "the right sort of person'. I thought that sounded kind of hopeful.
▷ encouraging /ɪnˈkʌrɪdʒɪŋ, ɪnˈkʌrədʒɪŋǁ-ˈkɜːr-/ [adjective]
making you feel more confident and hopeful :
▪ The doctor had some encouraging news -- I would soon be able to walk again.
▪ There are one or two more encouraging signs in the economy now.
▪ So far the results of our tests have been very encouraging.
▷ promising /ˈprɒmɪsɪŋ, ˈprɒməsɪŋǁˈprɑː-/ [adjective]
seeming likely to be good or successful :
▪ The future looks promising for British companies abroad.
▪ The weather outlook for the weekend isn’t very promising.
▪ My grandfather gave up a promising career in law to fight for his country.
▷ offer hope /ˌɒfəʳ ˈhəʊpǁˌɔːf-/ [verb phrase]
if something such as a new situation or discovery offers hope, it makes it possible for people to feel more hopeful that a bad situation will improve :
offer hope to
▪ The new treatment may offer hope to thousands of cancer patients.
offer hope of
▪ A recent UN initiative seems to offer some hope of a lasting peace settlement in the region.
▷ raise hopes /ˌreɪz ˈhəʊps/ [verb phrase]
to make people more confident than before that what they are hoping for will happen :
raise hopes that
▪ The latest news has raised hopes that another Western hostage might soon be released.
raise somebody’s hopes
▪ Speculation in the press about tax cuts has raised everyone’s hopes.
▷ auspicious /ɔːˈspɪʃəs/ [adjective usually before noun] formal
making people hopeful that good things will happen :
▪ The baseball season got off to an auspicious start with two good wins for the Tokyo Giants.
▪ It is my honour to toast the bride and groom on this auspicious occasion.
▷ light at the end of the tunnel /ˌlaɪt ət ði ˌend əv ðə ˈtʌnl/ [noun phrase]
something good that gives you hope that a long and difficult period is going to end soon :
▪ For Jane there is some light at the end of the tunnel, but many anorexia sufferers continue to suffer in silence.
see the light at the end of the tunnel
realize that there is hope
▪ After all the problems we’ve had we’re finally beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
▷ a glimmer of hope/a ray of hope /ə ˌglɪmər əv ˈhəʊp, ə ˌreɪ əv ˈhəʊp/ [noun phrase]
something that gives you a small reason to hope that a bad situation will improve :
▪ The news gave a glimmer of hope that Michael might be released from prison early.
▪ The one ray of hope seemed to be the possibility that the enemy would call off their attack because of the weather.
7. what you say when you hope something does not happen
▷ I hope not /aɪ ˌhəʊp nɒt/ spoken
say this when you hope that what has just been mentioned will not happen or is not true :
▪ ‘Do you think she’s lost?’ ‘I hope not!’
▪ ‘I promise I won’t do it again.’ ‘I certainly hope not,’ replied her mother.
▷ God/heaven forbid! /ˌgɒd, ˌhev ə n fəʳˈbɪdǁ ˌgɑːd-/ spoken
use this to say very strongly that you hope something does not happen or has not happened :
▪ ‘She said she was going to find out where you live and come and visit you.’ ‘Heaven forbid!’
8. to stop hoping
▷ lose hope/give up hope /ˌluːz ˈhəʊp, ˌgɪv ʌp ˈhəʊp/ [verb phrase]
▪ Some seeds take a long time to germinate, so don’t lose hope if nothing happens in the first year.
lose hope/give up hope of doing something
▪ After his accident, Jack had almost given up hope of ever working again.
lose hope/give up hope that
▪ We never lost hope that our son would return one day.
▷ despair /dɪˈspeəʳ/ [intransitive verb]
to stop hoping and become extremely unhappy, because you think there is no possibility of something happening :
▪ You mustn’t despair. Nothing is impossible.
▪ He glared at her, despairing.
despair of doing something
▪ Kate despaired of ever seeing her husband again.
▷ lose heart /ˌluːz ˈhɑːʳt/ [verb phrase]
to stop hoping that you will achieve something, because you feel you have not been making much progress :
▪ I think if he fails again he’ll just lose heart and give up.
▪ The tunnel had never been finished. Perhaps the builders lost heart and abandoned it.
▷ hopes are fading /ˌhəʊps ɑːʳ ˈfeɪdɪŋ/ [noun phrase]
use this to say that people are beginning to stop hoping that someone is safe, that something will succeed etc :
▪ Hopes are fading, but the search for survivors of the earthquake continues.
hopes are fading for
▪ Hopes are fading for the missing fourteen year old.
▷ dash somebody’s hopes /ˌdæʃ somebodyˈs ˈhəʊps/ [verb phrase]
to make someone completely stop hoping that something will happen or is true :
▪ I didn’t want to dash your hopes unnecessarily.
dash sb’s hopes of doing something
▪ a shattering knee injury which dashed his hopes of playing in the World Cup
9. when there is no hope of improvement or success
▷ hopeless /ˈhəʊpləs/ [adjective]
▪ The firemen tried to stop the flames from spreading, but it was hopeless.
▪ Remember, it’s just when things look hopeless that you sometimes get a lucky break.
▷ desperate /ˈdesp ə rɪt, ˈdesp ə rət/ [adjective]
so bad that, unless you get help immediately, there is no hope :
▪ The situation is desperate -- there are just not enough beds in the hospital.
▪ Another two weeks without emergency aid and I’d think things could become quite desperate.
▷ gloomy /ˈgluːmi/ [adjective]
a gloomy situation is one in which there is very little hope of improvement :
▪ This latest survey presents a gloomy picture of the Russian economy.
▪ Evidence that the world’s population is increasing faster than ever implies a gloomy prospect for humanity: starvation.
▷ bleak /bliːk/ [adjective]
a bleak situation is one in which there is very little hope of improvement and will probably get worse :
▪ His prospects of finding another job are bleak.
▪ The future looked bleak for the Democratic party.
▷ there is no hope /ðeər ɪz ˌnəʊ ˈhəʊp/
say this when a situation is so bad that it is useless to hope that it will improve :
▪ The doctor has said there’s no hope. She only has a few weeks to live.
there is no hope of
▪ The prison was on a small, rocky island. There was no hope of escape.
there is no hope for
▪ I’m afraid there’s no hope for us, unless you can give us the help we need.
10. a feeling that it is useless to hope
▷ hopelessness /ˈhəʊpləsnɪs, ˈhəʊpləsnəs/ [uncountable noun]
▪ After a few weeks, our confidence that our embassy had heard of our plight gave way to hopelessness.
hopelessness of
▪ Suddenly he saw the utter futility and hopelessness of his mission.
sense of hopelessness
▪ Who can really imagine the sense of hopelessness felt by people who commit suicide?
▷ despair /dɪˈspeəʳ/ [uncountable noun]
an extremely unhappy feeling you have when your situation is so bad that you have stopped hoping :
▪ Separation from someone you love can bring loneliness and despair.
▪ He gazed at the confusion around him and was overwhelmed by a feeling of despair.
be in despair
▪ Dan was in despair. Everything seemed to be going wrong.