v., hoped, hop·ing, hopes. v.intr.
- To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment.
- Archaic. To have confidence; trust.
- To look forward to with confidence or expectation: We hope that our children will be successful.
- To expect and desire. See synonyms at expect.
- A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.
- Something that is hoped for or desired: Success is our hope.
- One that is a source of or reason for hope: the team's only hope for victory.
- often Hope Christianity. The theological virtue defined as the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with God's help.
- Archaic. Trust; confidence.
hope against hope
- To hope with little reason or justification.
[Middle English hopen, from Old English hopian.]
hoper hop'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
