hope

[[t]ho͟ʊp[/t]]

♦

hopes, hoping, hoped

1) VERB If you hope that something is true, or you hope for something, you want it to be true or to happen, and you usually believe that it is possible or likely.

She had decided she must go on as usual, follow her normal routine, and hope and pray...

[V for n] He hesitates before leaving, almost as though he had been hoping for conversation...

[V to-inf] I hope to get a job within the next two weeks...

[V that] The researchers hope that such a vaccine could be available in about ten years' time...

[V so/not] `We'll speak again.' - `I hope so.'...

[V so/not] `Will it happen again?' - `I hope not, but you never know.'

2) VERB: with brd-neg If you say that you cannot hope for something, or if you talk about the only thing that you can hope to get, you mean that you are in a bad situation, and there is very little chance of improving it.

[V for n] Things aren't ideal, but that's the best you can hope for...

[V for n] I always knew it was too much to hope for.

[V to-inf] ...these mountains, which no one can hope to penetrate.

N-VAR

Hope is also a noun.

The only hope for underdeveloped countries is to become, as far as possible, self-reliant... The car was smashed beyond any hope of repair.

3) N-UNCOUNT Hope is a feeling of desire and expectation that things will go well in the future.

Now that he has become President, many people once again have hope for genuine changes in the system...

But Kevin hasn't given up hope of being fit...

Consumer groups still hold out hope that the president will change his mind...

Thousands of childless couples are to be given new hope by the government.

4) N-COUNT: with supp, oft N of n/-ing, N that If someone wants something to happen, and considers it likely or possible, you can refer to their hopes of that thing, or to their hope that it will happen.

They have hopes of increasing trade between the two regions...

The delay in the programme has dashed Japan's hopes of commercial success in space...

My hope is that, in the future, I will go over there and marry her.

5) N-COUNT: with supp If you think that the help or success of a particular person or thing will cause you to be successful or to get what you want, you can refer to them as your hope.

...England's last hope in the English Open Table Tennis Championships...

Roemer represented the best hope for a businesslike climate in Louisiana.

6) PHRASE: V inflects If you are in a difficult situation and do something and hope for the best, you hope that everything will happen in the way you want, although you know that it may not.

I took the risk and hoped for the best...

Some companies are cutting costs and hoping for the best.

7) PHRASE: V inflects If you tell someone not to get their hopes up, or not to build their hopes up, you are warning them that they should not become too confident of progress or success.

There is no reason for people to get their hopes up over this mission...

I don't want you to build your hopes up, but I'll have a word with Fred tomorrow.

8) PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR, oft PHR of -ing (emphasis) If you say that someone has not got a hope in hell of doing something, you are emphasizing that they will not be able to do it. [INFORMAL]

Everybody knows they haven't got a hope in hell of forming a government anyway.

9) PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR, usu PHR that, PHR of n/-ing, PHR for n If you have high hopes or great hopes that something will happen, you are confident that it will happen.

I had high hopes that Derek Randall might play an important part...

Britain's three-day event team has high hopes of winning the Olympic gold medal...

He had no great hopes for the success of his undertaking.

10) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR that If you hope against hope that something will happen, you hope that it will happen, although it seems impossible.

She glanced about the hall, hoping against hope that Richard would be waiting for her.

11) PHRASE: PHR with cl (politeness) You use `I hope' in expressions such as `I hope you don't mind' and `I hope I'm not disturbing you', when you are being polite and want to make sure that you have not offended someone or disturbed them.

I hope you don't mind me coming to see you...

I hope I haven't said anything to upset you.

12) PHRASE: PHR with cl, PHR not You say `I hope' when you want to warn someone not to do something foolish or dangerous.

You're not trying to see him, I hope?...

I hope you won't be too harsh with the girl...

Are we starting that again? I most sincerely hope not.

13) PHRASE: PHR with cl (politeness) You add `I hope' to what you are saying to make it sound more polite and less rude or less definite.

I'm the best man for the job, I hope...

Fraulein Wendel is well, I hope?

14) PHRASE: PHR after v, PHR of -ing, PHR that If you do one thing in the hope of another thing happening, you do it because you think it might cause or help the other thing to happen, which is what you want.

He was studying in the hope of being admitted to an engineering college...

We will be analysing all the things she has told us in the hope that we can locate the person responsible.

15) PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR that, PHR of -ing If you live in hope that something will happen, you continue to hope that it will happen, although it seems unlikely, and you realize that you are being foolish.

I just live in hope that one day she'll talk to me...

My mother bought lots of tickets and lived in hope of winning the prize.

16) CONVENTION (feelings) If you say `Some hope', or `Not a hope', you think there is no possibility that something will happen, although you may want it to happen. [INFORMAL]

The industry reckons it will see orders swell by 10% this financial year. Some hope.