mishope

present singular third person mishopes · participle present mishoping · participle past mishoped · past mishoped

1. nonstandardobsoletetransitiveTo fail to hope (in); hope amiss; lose hope; despair.

   This tree was defective in both, yielding nothing but an empty shade to the mishoping traveller.

   1846, Joseph Hall, Contemplations on the historical passages of the Old and New Testament

   2 more examples

   Not destitute of love to God or Man; But with a serpent's quiet, hissing, hate, To whoso misbelieves, misdeems, mishopes; Nor sparing God himself, if God should spare, Nor loving whoso deems His name is Love, Nor speaking truly of who seeks but truth.

   1870, Rowland Williams, Owen Glendower

   It was then that Hector was sure that he had won, mishoping, misreading her erotic fervor for a deeper devotion; for he was too young and ignorant to know that she was not acting or dissembling but rather offering herself to his pure and towering want, […]

   2010, Chang-rae Lee, The Surrendered

plural mishopes

1. countablenonstandardobsoleteuncountabledespair; a hope not realised.

   I was nearhand in utter mishope.

   1888, Emily Sarah Holt, In convent walls

   2 more examples

   People who are older must know that as life advances it is only a series of hopes and mishopes with something infinite pulling them toward the end.

   1919, Daniel Carson Goodman, The taker

   “Mishope?” What sort of a name was that? The ton was prone to bestowing nicknames on people he knew, but mishope?

   2005, Anne Gracie, The Perfect Waltz