A grounded desire for a good outcome together with belief that it remains possible.
Reach for it when naming positive possibility without promising certainty or denying difficulty
The first clean test gave the family hope that the treatment was working.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm |
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| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
playful
ray of light
Fits when one welcome sign breaks through a bleak moment
Careful The image is sentimental when the context calls for precise probability.
everyday
Fits when evidence supports stronger belief in success
Careful Confidence implies more certainty than hope and may overstate what is known.
warm
Fits when trust persists without complete proof
Careful Faith can carry religious meaning and may not fit evidence-based discussion.
professional
expectation
Fits when a likely future result rather than a wish is intended
Careful Expectation can be neutral or negative and lacks hope's desire.
professional
Fits when a general expectation of favorable outcomes is meant
Careful Optimism is a disposition, while hope can attach to one uncertain need.
formal
Fits when a valued future goal motivates action
Careful Aspiration concerns ambition, not the expectation that relief or change is possible.
literary
Fits when early signs suggest a favorable future
Careful Promise belongs to the situation or person showing potential, not the feeling itself.
renewed hope
The ceasefire brought renewed hope to families on both sides.
source of hope
The surviving seedlings became a source of hope after the fire.
hope for the future
Reliable apprenticeships offer hope for the future of the craft.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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