October 25, 2026 — 5:00am

“Hi there, hope you’re well.” How a thousand emails begin: a greeting plus well-wishing. Hope, the same verb, adorns countless Hallmark cards, the sentiment for imminent travellers, the sick and frail, the new parents.

We hope for the best. We half-hope or hope as much. Cross our hearts and hope to die. As a noun, hope comes in rays and glimmers. We even hope against hope, as it springs eternal. But what is hope, and does any dictionary have a hope in hell of telling us?

“Hope you’re well”: what are we really saying when we open emails this way? Getty Images

A family friend is expecting her third son in March. Sounds definite, doesn’t it? A fixed month, framed by expectation, since expecting differs from hoping. It expresses optimism rather than presumption.…