Hope flickered, a fragile flame in darkness.

Meaning: This means that she had a small amount of hope, but it was very weak and could easily go away.

Choice of Words: Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Flickered means to shine unsteadily or waver. Fragile means easily broken or damaged. Flame is a stream of burning gas that gives light and heat. Darkness is the absence of light. When you put them together, "hope flickered, a fragile flame in darkness" means that a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen shone unsteadily or wavered, like a weak stream of burning gas that gives light and heat in the absence of light.

Alternative Expressions

Hope flickered, a tiny light in the gloom.

Meaning: This sentence means that hope was like a very small light that was burning in the darkness. It was a very weak hope, but it was still there.

Choice of Words: Hope is the feeling that something good might happen, even when it seems unlikely. Flickered means to burn with a weak and unsteady flame. Tiny means very small. Light is a source of illumination. Gloom is a state of darkness or sadness.

Hope glimmered, a faint beacon in the night.

Meaning: This sentence means that hope was like a weak light that was shining in the darkness. It was a very small hope, but it was still visible.

Choice of Words: Hope is the feeling that something good might happen, even when it seems unlikely. Glimmered means to shine with a weak and unsteady light. Faint means weak or barely perceptible. Beacon is a light that is used to guide or warn people. Night is the time between sunset and sunrise.

Related Expressions