lingering hopes

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "lingering hopes" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a sense of hope that persists despite challenges or uncertainties. Example: "Even after the difficult news, she held onto her lingering hopes for a better outcome."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But lingering hopes about Microsoft were also a factor.

The New York Times

This has punctured any lingering hopes that this bear market might prove short-lived.

The Economist

Tuesday's Supreme Court ruling felt like a hammer's final blow to Almansoob's lingering hopes.

The Washington Post

Lee Matthews then crushed Luton's lingering hopes of rescuing a point with a third goal nine minutes from time.

The Guardian - Sport

If the German company goes after Sprint, Qwest's lingering hopes of an eventual combination with Deutsche Telekom would be dashed.

The New York Times

The deal will disappoint any carpetbaggers with lingering hopes of a windfall from holding a Britannia account.

The Guardian - Business

The second goal killed off any lingering hopes Wolfsburg had of taking anything out of the game.

The Guardian - Sport

And Lamberto Dini has been running a plausible foreign policy (see article 42.However, the Refounded Communists are steadily extinguishing Mr Prodi's lingering hopes for those major reforms.

The Economist

With any lingering hopes of promotion dashed with defeat to Derby County at the weekend, Neil Warnock stood down as manager of Leeds United.

Independent

This week has delivered the coup de grâce to any last lingering hopes that the Arab Spring would turn the page on the region's chronic woes.

Independent

The move, which stopped confusingly short of a recall, reflected Bausch's lingering hopes that more data would chase the cloud over MoistureLoc.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "lingering hopes" to convey a sense of optimism that persists despite unfavorable conditions or diminishing possibilities. It's effective when you want to acknowledge difficulty but also highlight the presence of continued anticipation.

Common error

While "lingering hopes" suggests persistence, overusing it when the situation is clearly hopeless can undermine credibility. Reserve it for scenarios where some level of realistic possibility, however small, still exists.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lingering hopes" primarily functions as a noun phrase, where "lingering" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "hopes". The phrase describes the state of hope that persists, although perhaps weakly or tenuously. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Sport

30%

Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Science

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "lingering hopes" is a grammatically sound noun phrase used to describe a situation where hope persists despite challenges. As Ludwig AI confirms, its usage is correct and appropriate in written English. The phrase is "very common", particularly in news, sports, and business contexts, conveying a sense of diminished but persistent optimism. While versatile, it's best to avoid overuse in situations that are clearly hopeless, and you can replace it with alternatives such as "fading hopes" or "remaining expectations" to emphasize different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fading hopes

Emphasizes a decrease in hope.

remaining expectations

Focuses on the expectations that still exist.

fading expectations

Emphasizes that expectations are diminishing.

remaining desires

Highlights the desires that are still present.

last vestige of hope

Focuses on the final, small amount of hope that remains.

slim chance

Indicates a small possibility of success or positive outcome.

outside chance

Highlights a low probability of something happening.

continuing aspirations

Highlights ongoing aspirations or ambitions.

remote possibility

Stresses the improbability of an event.

persistent optimism

Underlines the ongoing positive outlook.

FAQs

How can I use "lingering hopes" in a sentence?

You can use "lingering hopes" to describe a situation where there's still a small degree of optimism despite negative circumstances. For example, "Despite the economic downturn, some investors still have "lingering hopes" for a market recovery".

What are some alternatives to "lingering hopes"?

Alternatives to "lingering hopes" include "fading hopes", "remaining expectations", or "slim chance", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "lingering hopes" or "false hopes"?

"Lingering hopes" suggests a realistic but small degree of optimism, while "false hopes" implies unfounded or unrealistic optimism. The choice depends on the context and whether the optimism is based on any genuine possibility.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "lingering hopes"?

It's appropriate to use "lingering hopes" when you want to acknowledge that a situation is difficult or uncertain, but there's still a small amount of hope or expectation that something positive might happen.