wish
to want; desire; long for (usually followed by an infinitive or a clause): I wish to travel.I wish that it were morning.
to desire (a person or thing) to be (as specified): to wish the problem settled.
to entertain wishes, favorably or otherwise, for: to wish someone well;to wish someone ill.
to bid, as in greeting or leave-taking: to wish someone a good morning.
to request or charge: I wish him to come.
to desire; long; yearn (often followed by for): Mother says I may go if I wish.I wished for a book.
to make a wish: She wished more than she worked.
an act or instance of wishing.
a request or command: I was never forgiven for disregarding my father's wishes.
an expression of a wish, often one of a kindly or courteous nature: to send one's best wishes.
something wished or desired: He got his wish—a new car.
wish on,
to force or impose (usually used in the negative): I wouldn't wish that awful job on my worst enemy.
Also wish upon. to make a wish using some object as a magical talisman: to wish on a star.
Origin of wish
1Other words for wish
Other words from wish
- wisher, noun
- wishless, adjective
- in·ter·wish, verb (used with object), noun
- outwish, verb (used with object)
Words Nearby wish
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use wish in a sentence
Sending our love and best wishes to you both as you start your new life together.
How to turn down a wedding invitation during the coronavirus pandemic | Brooke Henderson | August 23, 2020 | FortuneWhile there is a wish amongst leaders to protect their own people first, the response to this pandemic has to be collective.
WHO chief warns the world: Don’t fall prey to COVID ‘vaccine nationalism’ | Sy Mukherjee | August 19, 2020 | FortuneThere’s a wish list from San Diego Council members of what they’d like to get done with that $62 million.
The City Is Walking a Fine Line in Demanding Millions From Its Next Power Provider | MacKenzie Elmer | August 7, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoWe get lots of encouraging comments from users whose wishes were included in our roadmap.
How to turn your customer feedback into a driving force for your product | Maria Kazakova | June 18, 2020 | Search Engine WatchNow, it should be noted that meta robots tag might be ignored at any point, but mostly crawlers respect the wishes of the webmasters.
And yes, our values include tolerance of those who wish to make fun of religion.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive | Ayaan Hirsi Ali | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTI wish I was a young Carole King, working in the Brill Building.
Ultimately, 2015 might be the year American anti-LGBT advocates wish they could skip.
At this point Marvin gives his Liberty Valance smile, the kind that makes you wish you could disintegrate in front of him.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile | Robert Ward | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTStill, I wish that DuVernay had given us more about those who are less famous besides a scene where they all eat dinner together.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’ | Gary May | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen Yima pressed the earth with this ring, the genius of the Earth, Aramaîti, responded to his wish and order.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature | Moncure Daniel ConwayI mean it is well my mother is ill, and doesn't wish to eat, for there would be nothing for her, if she did.
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. WilliamsonAt the end of the first year, however, she resigned this privilege because she did not wish to accept the conditions of the gift.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D. | Clara Erskine ClementHow often did I then wish myself with my dear Glumdalchtch, from whom one single hour had so far divided me.
Gulliver's Travels | Jonathan SwiftAs the hopeless wish passed through his soul, the iron entered with it, but did not pass away.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter
British Dictionary definitions for wish
/ (wɪʃ) /
(when tr, takes a clause as object or an infinitive; when intr, often foll by for) to want or desire (something, often that which cannot be or is not the case): I wish I lived in Italy; to wish for peace
(tr) to feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune of: I wish you well
(tr) to desire or prefer to be as specified
(tr) to greet as specified; bid: he wished us good afternoon
(tr) formal to order politely: I wish you to come at three o'clock
the act of wishing; the expression of some desire or mental inclination: to make a wish
something desired or wished for: he got his wish
(usually plural) expressed hopes or desire, esp for someone's welfare, health, etc
(often plural) formal a polite order or request
Origin of wish
1- See also wish on
Derived forms of wish
- wisher, noun
- wishless, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with wish
In addition to the idiom beginning with wish
- wish on
also see:
- if wishes were horses
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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