wish
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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
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.
The problem is that these moments are imbalanced, outweighed by the amount of time spent watching Wish Nikki do terrible things and Bear suffer the consequences.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
The run, which will coincide with his 40th birthday, will also raise money for bereavement support charity Winston's Wish and help fund a new reading initiative for children.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Fleeing back to the city, he finds a piece of paper with the song’s title, “I Wish You’d Wanted Me,” taped to his mailbox.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
The Olympic singles silver medallist from Beijing hit two quadruple jumps in his routine to a remix of "I Wish" but stumbled on his triple axel.
From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026
"Wish I'd gone to that dance practice," she says.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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.
