wish
Americanverb (used with object)
-
wishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wished,
past participle, past
-
wishing
present participle
-
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
-
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.
verb (used without object)
-
wishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wished,
past participle, past
-
wishing
present participle
-
to desire; long; yearn (often followed byfor ).
Mother says I may go if I wish.
I wished for a book.
-
to make a wish.
She wished more than she worked.
noun
-
wishes
plural
verb phrase
verb
-
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
-
formal (tr) to order politely
I wish you to come at three o'clock
noun
-
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
-
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
-
wishsimple
-
wishessimple
-
have wishedperfect
-
has wishedperfect
-
am wishingprogressive
-
are wishingprogressive
-
is wishingprogressive
-
have been wishingperfect progressive
-
has been wishingperfect progressive
Past
-
wishedsimple
-
had wishedperfect
-
was wishingprogressive
-
were wishingprogressive
-
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:
"We know that we will always be victorious. I wish you peaceful skies, a good mood, comfort, prosperity and pride in our country."
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
She tied the change to a 50% increase in people making wish lists and adding more than double the number of items to them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Everything goes too dang fast. There’s some long days throughout the years, but it all goes too fast. You wish you could slow it all down.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
"At that time, my greatest wish was to go out of the countryside, find a job and be able to eat better food."
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
She heads back down the stairs, and I wish I could escape into someone else’s fictional world with problems that have nothing to do with me—but I make myself pick up.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
To honor their mother’s wishes, three siblings return to the island of their childhood summers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Jayden made it clear that he did not want his number given to another player, and he believed his wishes would be respected,” his statement said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
But she now wishes she had sold her shares in the company when they peaked at three million won each in June, instead of buying into speculation that they would rise to five million won.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Also, if the Bank of Japan wishes to strengthen the yen by encouraging the repatriation of Japanese capital, this could trigger huge and highly disruptive capital outflows.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
“We went to the zoo! I think she wishes I were still ten. But it was fun. Mom was relaxed for once. And she only made three mean comments about Dad.”
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
“Of course the fairy tale ending was wished by all,” one commenter wrote on Facebook.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
His colleagues, including from former Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball, wished him well and Ball said it is "so good to see your face and learn that you're doing well".
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
They said they wished for him to be remembered "for the wonderful person he was and all that he achieved".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
None of the employees contacted by AFP wished to comment on the site's future.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
“When I wished for a Cinderella ending, this is not what I had in mind,” Leigh told them.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Anyone wishing to buy a gun must first apply for a purchase permit, then, once they have bought it, apply for a second possession permit.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Officials did acknowledge that the move would “shake things up” as governments wishing to exchange excess dollars for gold would no longer be paid at the $35-an-ounce price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
But sometimes, remodeling leaves homeowners with a sour taste in their mouth and wishing they’d skipped the project entirely.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
“Though we cannot say for certain, it does look like they may have left the area on their great journey,” the nonprofit said, wishing them “a safe and successful life.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
She swallowed hard, wishing someone would take the pig away.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
