here's hoping

phrase

An expression of desire that an event or outcome identified in the context will actually occur.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

phrase
  1. An expression of desire that an event or outcome identified in the context will actually occur.

    The good news is, it still ain't over for France, and despite the loss of Henry and Petit for two (here's hoping) and one game respectively, les Bleus are looking a bit better.

    2002 June 24, “World Cup: Brazil Carves Up Turkey”, in Time, retrieved 19 Nov 2019
    4 more examples

    In every instance the veteran landlord was requested to imitate the custom of the cupbearers to kings, and taste the liquor he presented, by the invitation of "After you is manners," with which request he ordinarily complied by wetting his lips, first expressing the wish of "Here's hoping," leaving it to the imagination of the hearers to fill the vacuum by whatever good each thought most desirable.

    1823, James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 13, in The Pioneers

    "Good!" cried Mr. Damon, […] "Ho! for the cavern and the lost city of Kurzon." "And the idol of gold," said Tom Swift to himself. "I hope we can get it ahead of Beecher. Perhaps if I can help in that—Oh, well, here's hoping, that's all!" and a little smile curved his lips.

    1917, Victor Appleton, chapter 21, in Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders

    The new MoMA is also more physically welcoming, and in many ways more workable. […] It remains to be seen if this expansion will suffer the overcrowding that plagued the last, but here's hoping.

    2019 October 17, Roberta Smith, “MoMA’s Art Treasure, No Longer Buried”, in New York Times, retrieved 19 Nov 2019

    HES's [Historic Environment Scotland's] most recent 2019 inspection suggests that the pier remains in a "poor" condition, but includes the note: "A community group is reported to be interested in acquiring the pier." Here's hoping.

    2023 December 13, Dr Joseph Brennan, “Railway heritage remains at risk”, in RAil, number 998, page 49
Cite this entry
APA

here's hoping. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/here's%20hoping

MLA

“here's hoping.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/here's%20hoping. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “here's hoping,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/here's%20hoping.

Source: here's hoping on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.