empty hope
[/ˈɛmpti hoʊp/]
nounpl: empty hopes
esperança vã
1. a hope or expectation that is unlikely to be fulfilled; an optimistic belief without realistic basis
Waiting for him to change was just empty hope; he had shown no signs of improvement.
Esperar que ele mudasse era apenas uma esperança vã; ele não havia mostrado sinais de melhora.
2. a false or illusory sense of optimism about a future outcome
The lottery players clung to empty hopes of winning the jackpot.
Os apostadores da loteria se agarravam a esperanças vãs de ganhar o prêmio máximo.
This phrase is commonly used in both American and Brazilian contexts to express skepticism about unrealistic expectations. In Brazil, particularly in literature and formal speech, 'esperança vã' carries a somewhat poetic tone, while in American English, 'empty hope' and 'false hope' are frequently used interchangeably in everyday conversation to warn against unrealistic optimism.
NYC Slang
pipe dream, fool's errand
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