mishope

mishope

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English mishopen, equivalent to mis- +‎ hope (verb). Cognate with Middle Dutch mishopen, Middle High German missehoffen, Middle Swedish mishoppa.

Verb

mishope (third-person singular simple present mishopes, present participle mishoping, simple past and past participle mishoped)

1. (transitive) To fail to hope (in); hope amiss; lose hope; despair.
   • 1846, Joseph Hall, Contemplations on the historical passages of the Old and New Testament:

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

   • 1870, Rowland Williams, Owen Glendower:

     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.

   • 2010, Chang-rae Lee, The Surrendered:

     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, [...]

Etymology 2

From Middle English mishope, equivalent to mis- +‎ hope (noun). Cognate with Middle Dutch mishope, Middle Swedish mishop.

Noun

mishope (plural mishopes)

1. despair; a hope not realised.
   • 1888, Emily Sarah Holt, In convent walls:

     I was nearhand in utter mishope.

   • 1919, Daniel Carson Goodman, The taker:

     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.

   • 2005, Anne Gracie, The Perfect Waltz:

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