wish
verb (used with object)
to want; desire; long for (usually followed by an infinitive or a clause).
had wished
-
past perfectof wish.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
She watched her mother sink into dementia without being able to ask to leave "with dignity", as she had wished, because the law was not yet in force.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
Later, what I would feel most guilty about were the days I had wished I wasn't pregnant.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2025
“Chiquita had wished to maintain its crucial role in the community’s solid waste management system, but has made the difficult decision to close its active waste disposal operations,” wrote Steve Cassulo, the landfill’s manager.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2024
Gamage said it was not his place to say whether the Star of Hope should be a museum, as Indiana had wished.
From New York Times ● May 3, 2024
Many a time I had wished that my parents were workers in a textile mill and that we were poor.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
