Hope (verb) — to want something to happen and believe it is possible. Hope (noun) — a wish or expectation that something good will happen; the possibility that it will occur.
What Does Hope Mean?
Hope comes from Old English hopian, meaning to trust, expect, or wish. It is related to Old Norse hopa (to jump with anticipation) and Dutch hopen. Both the verb and the noun existed in Old English, making hope one of the oldest emotional vocabulary items in the language, with over a thousand years of continuous use.
As a verb, hope expresses a wish combined with the belief that something could realistically happen: I hope you enjoy the lesson today. It differs from wish, which often signals an unreal or unlikely desire. As a noun, hope names the feeling itself (a sense of hope), a specific expectation (her hopes of winning), or even a person who represents optimism (the team's best hope).
Hope sits at A2 level in its most basic verb form but appears in sophisticated B2–C1 structures such as I was hoping you might consider… (polite requests) and all hope was lost (literary narrative). Mastering both the verb and the noun will significantly expand your expressive range across spoken and written English.
Example Sentences by Level
| Sentence | Level & Note |
|---|---|
| I hope you enjoy the lesson today. | A2 — basic verb + that-clause (conjunction omitted) |
| She hopes to travel to Spain next summer. | B1 — hope + to-infinitive, future plan |
| There is still hope that the missing hiker will be found. | B1 — noun hope + that-clause |
| We had high hopes for the project, but progress has been slow. | B2 — collocation high hopes, contrast structure |
| I was hoping you might be able to offer some guidance on this matter. | C1 — past continuous for polite/tentative request, formal register |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| high hopes | We had high hopes for the new scheme. |
| give hope | The treatment gave hope to thousands of patients. |
| lose hope | After months of searching, they began to lose hope. |
| raise / dash hopes | The announcement raised hopes of a quick solution. The defeat dashed their hopes. |
| pin your hopes on | She pinned her hopes on winning the scholarship. |
| a glimmer of hope | There was still a glimmer of hope that a deal could be reached. |
| live in hope | They lived in hope that the situation would improve. |
| hope for the best | We can't control everything — all we can do is hope for the best. |
| faint hope | There is a faint hope that the flight will be reinstated. |
| beyond hope | The old building was beyond hope of restoration. |
Usage Notes
Key Grammar Points
hope + that-clause (that often omitted): I hope (that) everything goes well.
hope + to-infinitive (same subject): I hope to see you soon. (NOT: I hope seeing you soon.)
hope + for + noun: We are hoping for good weather.
Polite requests — past continuous: I was hoping you could help me. (softer and more formal than "I hope you can help me.")
Noun uses: give hope / raise hopes / lose hope / a sense of hope / hopes of + -ing (hopes of winning).
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I hope to that you will come.
I hope that you will come. (do not use to before a that-clause)
She hopes seeing you tomorrow.
She hopes to see you tomorrow. (hope + to-infinitive, not gerund, when subject is the same)
I have hope to pass the exam.
I hope to pass the exam. / I have hopes of passing the exam. (the noun takes hopes of + -ing)
I wish I can come. (expressing a realistic hope)
I hope I can come. (use hope for realistic possibilities; wish is for unreal situations)