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hope

/ˈhoʊp/
verbnoun

HOPE means trust or confident expectation, scores 9 Scrabble points, and differs by one letter from 19 other words, including HOME and HYPE.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Verb 4 meanings

  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.”

  2. To intend to do something and look forward to the prospect of having done it [with to (+ infinitive)].

    “I hope to succeed.”

  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.”

  4. To place confidence; to trust with confident expectation of good [with in].

Noun 4 meanings

  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.”

  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.”

  4. The virtuous desire for future good.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English hopen, from Old English hopian (“hope”), from Proto-West Germanic *hopōn; further etymology unclear.

HOPE is a familiar four-letter word with several related senses: a feeling that something wished for will happen, the thing you wish for, or a person or thing you rely on. Its commonness stands out among short playable words: its frequency rank is 326. For word games, the H and P carry most of its tile value.

HOPE at a glance

  • HOPE has four letters and scores 9 points using standard Scrabble tile values.
  • H is worth 4 points and P is worth 3; O and E are worth 1 point each.
  • The word has 19 one-letter neighbors, including HOME, HOLE, HYPE, and HOSE.
  • Its 12 rhymes include POPE, NOPE, ROPE, SCOPE, and SLOPE.

What does HOPE mean?

HOPE is a feeling of trust or belief that a wanted outcome can happen. You might hope for clear skies, for example: the word names your expectation, not a guarantee that the forecast will change.

The noun also names the outcome itself, as in “my hope is to finish early,” or a person who gives someone confidence. A related sense describes a virtuous desire for future good. These meanings share an orientation toward something wished for, but the sentence tells you which one applies.

How does HOPE score in Scrabble?

HOPE scores 9 points before any board bonuses: H contributes 4, P contributes 3, and O and E add 1 apiece. The two higher-value tiles make the word’s base score stronger than its plain-looking O and E suggest.

Changing one letter creates a broad set of neighbors. HOME and HOLE keep the opening H and ending E; HYPE changes the middle pair, while POPE, NOPE, and ROPE share the O-P-E ending. These are one-letter word changes, not a list of synonyms.

HOPE rhymes with short words such as NOPE and COPE, as well as longer ones like SCOPE and ENVELOPE. A rhyme match concerns the ending sound; a neighbor match concerns changing one letter, so the two groups overlap only partly.

HOPE appears in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE. Game dictionaries can differ, so check your game's word list before relying on a word in a particular match.

Rhymes with hope

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest

Questions people ask

What does HOPE mean?
HOPE means trust or confident expectation that something wished for can happen. It can also name the thing someone wishes for, a person or thing that inspires confidence, or a virtuous desire for future good. The surrounding sentence distinguishes these related senses.
How many points is HOPE worth in Scrabble?
HOPE is worth 9 points before board bonuses. H is worth 4 points, P is worth 3, and O and E are worth 1 each. A premium square can change the total, but not the underlying tile values.
What words are one letter away from HOPE?
HOPE has 19 one-letter neighbors. Familiar examples include HOME, HOLE, HYPE, HOSE, POPE, NOPE, and ROPE. Each changes exactly one letter while keeping the word four letters long; these neighbors do not necessarily share HOPE’s meaning.

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