hope

[ hohp ]
/ hoʊp /

noun

verb (used with object), hoped, hop·ing.

to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.
to believe, desire, or trust: I hope that my work will be satisfactory.

verb (used without object), hoped, hop·ing.

to feel that something desired may happen: We hope for an early spring.
Archaic. to place trust; rely (usually followed by in).

Idioms for hope

    hope against hope, to continue to hope, although the outlook does not warrant it: We are hoping against hope for a change in her condition.

Origin of hope

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English hopa; cognate with Dutch hoop, German Hoffe; (v.) Middle English hopen, Old English hopian

SYNONYMS FOR hope

OTHER WORDS FROM hope

British Dictionary definitions for hope against hope (1 of 2)

hope
/ (həʊp) /

noun

verb

Derived forms of hope

hoper, noun

Word Origin for hope

Old English hopa; related to Old Frisian hope, Dutch hoop, Middle High German hoffe

British Dictionary definitions for hope against hope (2 of 2)

Hope
/ (həʊp) /

noun

Anthony, real name Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins. 1863–1933, English novelist; author of The Prisoner of Zenda (1894)
Bob, real name Leslie Townes Hope. 1903–2003, US comedian and comic actor, born in England. His films include The Cat and the Canary (1939), Road to Morocco (1942), and The Paleface (1947). He was awarded an honorary knighthood in 1998
David (Michael). Baron. born 1940, British churchman, Archbishop of York (1995–2005)

Idioms and Phrases with hope against hope (1 of 2)

hope against hope

Hope or wish for with little reason or justification, as in I'm hoping against hope that someone will return my wallet. This expression, based on the biblical “Who against hope believed in hope” (Romans 4:18), was first recorded in 1813.

Idioms and Phrases with hope against hope (2 of 2)

hope