wish
verb (used with object)
to want; desire; long for (usually followed by an infinitive or a clause).
have wished
-
present perfectof wish.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
"It has taken us much longer than we would have wished, and much longer than we had anticipated would be the case when the hearing concluded, to produce our decision," the commission wrote.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Meanwhile, 3% said they have wished to decline an invitation themselves but felt too judged.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Forest made their hosts wait on the pitch almost four minutes before emerging for the second half, Tottenham will have wished they had stayed in the dressing room.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
Never mind what voters might have wished, or other prospective candidates might have had in mind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
The graduates were full of praise for the school, its teachers, and especially its pupils, who were as full of cleverness and pluck as Agatha Swanburne herself could have wished.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
