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Origin of wish

before 900; (v.) Middle English wisshen,Old English wȳscan; cognate with German wünschen,Old Norse æskja; akin to Old English wynn joy (see winsome), Latin venus charm (see Venus); (noun) Middle English, derivative of the v.

OTHER WORDS FROM wish

wisher, nounwishless, adjectivein·ter·wish, verb (used with object), nounoutwish, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WHEN TO USE

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.

How to use wish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wish

wish
/ (wɪʃ) /

verb
noun
See also wish on

Derived forms of wish

wisher, nounwishless, adjective

Word Origin for wish

Old English wӯscan; related to Old Norse öskja, German wünschen, Dutch wenschen
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

wish

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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