Basic+ Word of the Day: hope

hope (verb, noun) past tense: hoped

"I hope this grows into a huge tree."

Hope means ‘to look forward to with desire and confidence.’

• Elise hopes that it doesn't rain on her wedding day.
• Randall hopes to win the race.

Hope is a feeling that things will turn out well.

• Leigh's hope is that her daughter will be happy at her new job.

Something that makes you feel this feeling is also hope.

• Jane's suggestion is our best hope for a solution.
• The new medication is Phil's last hope for recovery.

Common uses

hope against hope: to continue to hope when a situation seems very bad. Example: “They hoped against hope that the crash victims would survive.”

Related words

hopefully: in a hopeful manner. Example: “Hopefully the war will end soon.”

In pop culture

Sing along with Paul McCartney as he sings “Hope of Deliverance.”

There are other meanings of hope.