Word
hoping
Phoneticshop·ing
US/ˈhoʊpɪŋ/
UK/hˈəʊpɪŋ/
Definitions
01wanting something to happen
v. wanting something to be true or to happen in the future.
v. the present participle of 'hope', used to form continuous tenses or as a gerund to express a desire for a particular event to occur.
“We are hoping for good weather during our beach holiday next week.”
“The researchers are hoping that the preliminary data will secure further funding for the clinical trials scheduled for next year.”
Usage
Often followed by 'for' + noun or a 'that' clause.
Pitfall
I am hoping of a good result.
I am hoping for a good result.
Use the preposition 'for' after 'hoping' when you want a specific thing to happen.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02feeling optimistic
adj. feeling or showing a lot of hope.
adj. characterised by or inspiring hope; used to describe a person's state of mind or the nature of a situation.
“She gave him a small, hoping smile as he walked toward the stage.”
“The poet describes a hoping heart that refuses to surrender to the cold reality of the winter landscape.”
Literary
Teaching tip
This adjectival use is rare in modern English; 'hopeful' is almost always preferred in everyday speech and writing.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From hope + -ing. Cognate with German Hoffnung (“hope”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hoping