Definition

Noun: A person or thing that is widely expected to bring significant success, victory, or salvation in a particular field or endeavor, often carrying the hopes of a group or community.

Usage

This term is used to describe a person or entity upon which people place high expectations for future triumph or a solution to a problem. It often implies that there is a strong need or desire for this success.

Examples

• The young quarterback was hailed as the great white hope for the struggling football franchise.
• Many environmentalists see this new technology as the great white hope for cleaning up ocean plastic.
• The company promoted its latest product as the great white hope for reviving its declining market share.

Advanced Usage & Notes

• The term originates from early 20th-century boxing, where it was used by the white press to describe a white boxer who they hoped would defeat the reigning black heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson. Due to this racially charged origin, the term can be considered offensive or insensitive in many modern contexts.
• It is often used with a degree of irony or skepticism, acknowledging that such high expectations may be unrealistic.
• The phrase can be adapted, with "white" sometimes replaced or omitted (e.g., "great hope"), though this changes the specific idiomatic meaning.

Variants and Related Words

• Hope (n): A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.
• Savior (n): A person who saves someone or something from danger or failure.
• Prodigy (n): A young person with exceptional qualities or abilities.

Synonyms

• Golden hope
• Savior
• Messiah (figurative)
• Standard-bearer

Antonyms

• Lost cause
• Failure
• Disappointment

Idioms and Related Phrases

• To pin one's hopes on: To rely heavily on someone or something for success.
  • The team is pinning its hopes on the new rookie.
• The chosen one: A person believed to be the only one who can achieve something (often used in a mythical or humorous context).

Noun

1. someone (or something) expected to achieve great success in a given field
   • this company is the great white hope of the nuclear industry's waste management policy