Etymology From Middle English hopen, from Old English hopian (“hope”), from Proto-West Germanic *hopōn; further etymology unclear. Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian, West Frisian hoopje (“to hope”), Cimbrian hòffan (“to hope”), Dutch hopen (“to hope”), German, Luxembourgish hoffen (“to hope”), Vilamovian höfnan (“hope”), Yiddish האָפֿן (hofn, “to hope”), Danish håbe (“to hope”), Norwegian Bokmål håpe (“to hope”), Norwegian Nynorsk håpa, håpe (“to hope”), Swedish hoppas (“to hope”).
1
To want (something) to happen, with a sense of expectation that it might [with that (+ clause); or (informal) with clause; or with so or (negative) not].
They are hoping it does not rain, but I expect it will.
He's still hoping that everything will turn out fine.
4 more examples
— Is he going to shut up soon? — I hope so.
I'm going to get a new car. I hope it will be better than the last one.
I'd hoped I'd find a job, but I never did, so I was hoping you could lend me some cash.
I hope {to - (that) I'll} have finished by next Sat at the latest.
2
Catenative To intend to do something and look forward to the prospect of having done it [with to (+ infinitive)].
I hope to succeed.
I hope to be going back again soon.
2 more examples
I was hoping to find a pair of jeans, but I couldn't.
He looked round the poor room, at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a room like Father Bryan's, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a room as he had hoped to have for his own.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
3
To expect optimistically that one might get something (either a change in circumstance or an object) [with for].
They're hoping for the best, but I don't think it's looking very good.
I'm hoping for my boss to offer me a pay raise.
4
To place confidence; to trust with confident expectation of good [with in].
I hope in thy word.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms cxix:81:
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms xlii:11:
Etymology From Middle English hope, from Old English hopa (“hope, expectation”), from the same source as the verb hope. Eclipsed non-native early modern English esperance, borrowed from Middle French esperance.
1
The feeling of trust, confidence, belief or expectation that something wished for can or will happen.
All hopes for a truce are gone after the latest attack.
After losing my job, there's frail hope of affording my world cruise.
2 more examples
There is still hope that we can find our missing cat.
My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter III, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
2
The actual thing wished for.
3
A person or thing that is a source of hope.
We still have one hope left: my roommate might see the note I left on the table.
But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 13:13:
Etymology From Middle English hope (“a valley”), from Old English hōp (found only in placenames). More at hoop.
1
Northern England, Scotland A hollow; a valley, especially the upper end of a narrow mountain valley when it is nearly encircled by smooth, green slopes; a combe.
hope
noun
Etymology From Icelandic hóp (“a small bay or inlet”). Cognate with English hoop.
Being by contrarie winds driuen to staie against Erith, at Grauesend, in Tilberie hope.1587, Abraham Fleming, Holinshed's Chronicles:
A little hamlet which straggled along the side of a creek formed by the discharge of a small brook into the sea[…]It was called Wolf's Hope (i.e. Wolf's Haven).1819, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC: