different between aim vs hope

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e?m/
• Rhymes: -e?m

Etymology 1

From Middle English amen, aimen, eimen (“to guess at, to estimate, to aim”), borrowed from Old French esmer, aesmer, asmer, from Latin ad- plus aestimare (“to estimate”), the compound perhaps being originally formed in Medieval Latin (adaestimare), perhaps in Old French.

Noun

aim (plural aims)

1. The pointing of a weapon, as a gun, a dart, or an arrow, or object, in the line of direction with the object intended to be struck; the line of fire; the direction of anything, such as a spear, a blow, a discourse, a remark, towards a particular point or object, with a view to strike or affect it.

2. The point intended to be hit, or object intended to be attained or affected.
3. Intention or goal

   Synonyms: purpose, design, scheme

   • 1891, Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man Under Socialism

     There is no doubt at all that this is the future of machinery, and just as trees grow while the country gentleman is asleep, so while Humanity will be amusing itself, or enjoying cultivated leisure which, and not labour, is the aim of man - or making beautiful things, or reading beautiful things, or simply contemplating the world with admiration and delight, machinery will be doing all the necessary and unpleasant work.
4. The ability of someone to aim straight; one's faculty for being able to hit a physical target

5. (obsolete) Conjecture; guess.

Synonyms

• (intention): aspiration, design, end, ettle, intention, mint, object, purpose, scheme, scope, tendency; See also Thesaurus:goal or Thesaurus:intention

Derived terms

• aimless
• take aim

Translations

Verb

aim (third-person singular simple present aims, present participle aiming, simple past and past participle aimed)

1. (intransitive) To point or direct a missile, or a weapon which propels as missile, towards an object or spot with the intent of hitting it

2. (intransitive) To direct the intention or purpose; to attempt the accomplishment of a purpose; to try to gain; to endeavor;—followed by at, or by an infinitive
3. (transitive) To direct or point (e.g. a weapon), at a particular object; to direct, as a missile, an act, or a proceeding, at, to, or against an object

4. (transitive) To direct (something verbal) towards a certain person, thing, or group

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To guess or conjecture.

Usage notes

• Sense 2. This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Derived terms

• aim at
• ready, aim, fire!

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

aim

1. Initialism of America Online. AIM; AOL Instant Messenger.

Further reading

• aim in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• aim in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• AMI, I am, I'm a, I'm a', I'm'a, I'm-a, I'ma, IAM, Ima, Ima', MAI, MIA, Mai, Mia, i'm'a, i'ma, ima, mai, mia

Estonian

Etymology

Of Finnic origin. Cognate to Finnish aimottaa.

Noun

aim (genitive aimu, partitive aimu)

1. sense, idea of something, feeling

   Pole aimugi.

   I have no idea.

Declension

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: h?p, IPA^(key): /h??p/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ho?p/
• Rhymes: -??p

Etymology 1

From Middle English hopen, from Old English hopian (“to expect, hope”), from Proto-West Germanic *hop?n, further etymology unclear.

Verb

hope (third-person singular simple present hopes, present participle hoping, simple past and past participle hoped)

1. (intransitive, transitive) To want something to happen, with a sense of expectation that it might.
2. To be optimistic; be full of hope; have hopes.
3. (intransitive) To place confidence; to trust with confident expectation of good; usually followed by in.
   • 1611, Bible (King James Version), Psalms cxix. 81

     I hope in thy word.

   • 1611, Bible (King James Version), Psalms xlii. 11

     Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God.

4. (transitive, dialectal, nonstandard) To wish.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Derived terms

• here's hoping
• hoped for

Translations

See also

• aspire
• desire
• expect
• look forward
• want

Etymology 2

From Middle English hope, from Old English hopa (“hope, expectation”), from the verb hope.

Noun

hope (countable and uncountable, plural hopes)

1. (countable or uncountable) The feeling of trust, confidence, belief or expectation that something wished for can or will happen.

2. (countable) The actual thing wished for.
3. (countable) A person or thing that is a source of hope.

4. (Christianity, uncountable) The virtuous desire for future good.

   • But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Derived terms

Related terms

• forlorn hope

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English hope (“a valley”), from Old English h?p (found only in placenames). More at hoop.

Noun

hope (plural hopes)

1. (Northern England, Scotland) A hollow; a valley, especially the upper end of a narrow mountain valley when it is nearly encircled by smooth, green slopes; a comb.

Etymology 4

From Icelandic hóp (“a small bay or inlet”). Cognate with English hoop.

Noun

hope (plural hopes)

1. A sloping plain between mountain ridges.
2. (Scotland) A small bay; an inlet; a haven.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Jamieson to this entry?)

Anagrams

• pheo, pheo-

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

hope

1. (archaic) singular present subjunctive of hopen

Maori

Noun

hope

1. waist
2. hip (ringa hope)

Shona

Etymology

From the root of Common Bantu *d??kópè, whence also chikope (“eyelid”).

Noun

hópé 10

1. sleep

West Frisian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ho?p?/

Noun

hope n (no plural)

1. Alternative form of hoop