Hope flickered like a candle.

Meaning: The feeling of hope was weak and uncertain.

Choice of Words: Hope is a feeling of expecting good things to happen. Flickered means to shine unsteadily. Candle is a stick of wax with a wick that burns to give light. So, the sentence means that the feeling of hope was weak and uncertain, like a candle that is about to go out.

Alternative Expressions

Hope flickered like a dying candle.

Meaning: This means that hope was very weak and was about to disappear, like a candle flame that is about to go out.

Choice of Words: Dying means coming to an end or ceasing to exist. When you add it to the sentence, it means that the hope was flickering like a candle that is about to go out. This is because a dying candle flame is very weak and unsteady, and it will soon disappear.

Related Expressions