should hope

English

Verb

should hope (third-person singular simple present should hope, no present participle, no simple past or past participle)

  1. (emphatic, colloquial) To believe (something) is an obligation [with that (+ clause); or (informal) with clause; or with so or (negative) not].
    "He'll be here soon." "I should hope so!"

Usage notes

  • The verbs should hope and would hope both go beyond the base meaning of hope, as they imply that the speaker expects something to happen. More particularly, should hope implies that something is obligatory, and is sometimes used as a mild rebuke or as a veiled means of issuing an order. As such, it may be perceived as rude, overbearing or condescending unless used with good reason.
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