no-hoper

American

[noh-hoh-per] / ˈnoʊˈhoʊ pər /

noun

a useless person from whom nothing can be expected.

no-hoper British

noun

informal a useless person; failure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of no-hoper

1940–45; no hope + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I’m a bit less convinced than Ryan that a Biden campaign would be a no-hoper.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 27, 2015

President Nixon's would-be killer, Arthur Bremer, was a "no-hoper" who scrounged for a living in 1970s Milwaukee, and appeared to relish a life of subterfuge.

From The Guardian • Nov. 18, 2012

But when they botched a chance to win the American League division series at home in Game 4, a trip to the Bronx for Game 5 Thursday night was a no-hoper.

From New York Times • Oct. 7, 2011

Kayef is a 33-1 shot for the Fred Winter but he doesn't seem like a no-hoper to me.

From The Guardian • Mar. 11, 2011

Ned Rose is the title figure, a no-hoper in early middle age, who checks the oxygen levels in the 16 ponds of a Mississippi catfish farm.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023