hope
UK[həʊp]US[hoʊp]
v
To want something to happen or be true, and to believe it is possible.
n
A feeling of wanting something to happen and thinking that it could happen; a person or thing that gives you hope.
Etymology
The word 'hope' originates from the Old English noun 'hopa' and the verb 'hopian', meaning 'confidence in the future' and 'to have confidence, trust'. These Old English terms are believed to derive from a hypothetical Proto-Germanic root hupōną, which carried a sense of expectation and looking forward. This concept is thought to be related to the Proto-Indo-European root kēwp-, meaning 'to smoke, boil, ferment', metaphorically extending to the idea of agitation or seething expectation. Over time, the word shed its more turbulent connotations, stabilizing in Middle English to signify the positive and comforting expectation of good, which is its core meaning today.
Analysis
The word 'hope' is a simplex word of Old English origin. It functions as both a verb and a noun in its modern form.
Examples
We hope for good weather on the day of the picnic.
She never gave up hope of finding her lost ring.
The new treatment offers hope to many patients.