wish
Americanverb (used with object)
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wishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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wished,
past participle, past
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wishing
present participle
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to want; desire; long for (usually followed by an infinitive or a clause).
I wish to travel.
I wish that it were morning.
- Synonyms:
- crave
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to desire (a person or thing) to be (as specified).
to wish the problem settled.
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to entertain wishes, favorably or otherwise, for.
to wish someone well;
to wish someone ill.
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to bid, as in greeting or leave-taking.
to wish someone a good morning.
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to request or charge.
I wish him to come.
verb (used without object)
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wishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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wished,
past participle, past
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wishing
present participle
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to desire; long; yearn (often followed byfor ).
Mother says I may go if I wish.
I wished for a book.
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to make a wish.
She wished more than she worked.
noun
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wishes
plural
verb phrase
verb
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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
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(tr) to feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune of
I wish you well
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(tr) to desire or prefer to be as specified
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(tr) to greet as specified; bid
he wished us good afternoon
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formal (tr) to order politely
I wish you to come at three o'clock
noun
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the act of wishing; the expression of some desire or mental inclination
to make a wish
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something desired or wished for
he got his wish
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(usually plural) expressed hopes or desire, esp for someone's welfare, health, etc
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formal (often plural) a polite order or request
Usage
What are other ways to say wish? To wish is to want or long for something. How is wish different from desire and want? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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wishsimple
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wishessimple
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have wishedperfect
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has wishedperfect
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am wishingprogressive
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are wishingprogressive
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is wishingprogressive
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have been wishingperfect progressive
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has been wishingperfect progressive
Past
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wishedsimple
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had wishedperfect
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was wishingprogressive
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were wishingprogressive
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had been wishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wish
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb wishen, Old English wȳscan; cognate with German wünschen, Old Norse æskja; akin to Old English wynn “joy” ( see winsome), Latin venus “charm” ( see Venus); noun derivative of the verb
Vocabulary lists containing wish
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.
See Examples For:
"It's the end of an era. I wish it wasn't."
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
I wish the record had the same impact that the songs have live.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
The fundraiser will be split equally between the families of the two men to be used as they wish, according to the Cleveland Police Federation.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
While we may wish to lose weight, we should not expect assistance from our biology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
It’s what I want to say to the families of all the boys of the Forty-Eighth, but it’s also the apology I wish was given to me.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Kusama studied Japanese painting in Kyoto, against her parents' wishes, and held her first solo exhibition in 1952 in her hometown of Matsumoto in central Japan.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
He also thanked his fans, family, crew and other musicians for the support and well wishes sent his way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
I want to make sure that her wishes are properly documented and that she is protected from any potential challenge to the new will.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
"He had very limited family involvement around his passing but we assured it was appropriate, met his wishes and was dignified."
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Scoob watches the verbal punches land and immediately wishes he could pull them all back.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
Walsh, the hospitality owner, said he was surprised a few days ago when he saw that someone—using a chalkboard where locals trade messages—had wished SpaceX employees luck running a marathon on the island.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
“Of course the fairy tale ending was wished by all,” one commenter wrote on Facebook.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Joe Root: Root cannot have wished for a better start to his second stint as captain.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
"The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished."
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
He wished to make it all not true.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
“I’ll be there with everybody else, wishing and hoping.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Those wishing to lead China after Mr. Xi will likely need more wisdom than the writings of Marx and Mao contain, and they will need more support than the ranks of the party can offer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The guidance would support communities wishing to set up dark sky sites, which are locations with little or no light pollution.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Burnham said: "I would like to bring down the cost of doing businesses. I want to make high streets more vibrant across the country. I know that cannot be done by simply wishing it."
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Boaz shivered when he stepped out of the station, yanking up the zipper of his hoodie and jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans, wishing he’d thought to bring his jacket.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
