wish on

British

verb

(tr, preposition) to hope that (someone or something) should be imposed (on someone); foist

I wouldn't wish my cold on anyone

"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

wish on Idioms

Foist or impose something on another, as in I wouldn't wish this job on my worst enemy. [Early 1900s]

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.

Italy's Matteo Arnaldi says withdrawing from his first Grand Slam semi-final through illness is an experience he would "not wish on anybody".

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

"I wouldn't wish on anyone what I went through for a year and a half at my workplace," said Jean-Baptiste Peyras-Loustalet of his time working with Galthie at Montpellier.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Tseng went more than a decade without winning a tournament as she struggled through injuries, mechanical problems, and the one affliction no golfer would wish on their worst enemy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

“It’s something I would never wish on my worst enemy.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2025

It is so easy to be hopeful in the day time when you can see the things you wish on.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023