wish

[ wish ]

verb (used with object)

1. 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

2. to desire (a person or thing) to be (as specified):

   to wish the problem settled.

3. to entertain wishes, favorably or otherwise, for:

   to wish someone well;

   to wish someone ill.

4. to bid, as in greeting or leave-taking:

   to wish someone a good morning.

5. to request or charge:

   I wish him to come.

   Synonyms: order, direct

verb (used without object)

1. to desire; long; yearn (often followed by for ):

   Mother says I may go if I wish.

   I wished for a book.

2. to make a wish:

   She wished more than she worked.

noun

1. an act or instance of wishing.
2. a request or command:

   I was never forgiven for disregarding my father's wishes.

   Synonyms: want, will, desire

3. an expression of a wish, often one of a kindly or courteous nature:

   to send one's best wishes.

4. something wished or desired:

   He got his wish—a new car.

verb phrase

1. 1. to force or impose (usually used in the negative):

      I wouldn't wish that awful job on my worst enemy.

   2. Also wish upon. to make a wish using some object as a magical talisman:

      to wish on a star.

wish

/ wɪʃ /

verb

1. whentr, takes a clause as object or an infinitive; when intr, often foll by for 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

2. tr to feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune of

   I wish you well

3. tr to desire or prefer to be as specified
4. tr to greet as specified; bid

   he wished us good afternoon

5. formal.
   tr to order politely

   I wish you to come at three o'clock

noun

1. the act of wishing; the expression of some desire or mental inclination

   to make a wish

2. something desired or wished for

   he got his wish

3. usually plural expressed hopes or desire, esp for someone's welfare, health, etc
4. formal.
   often plural a polite order or request

Derived Forms

• ˈwishless, adjective
• ˈwisher, noun

Other Words From

• wisher noun
• wishless adjective
• inter·wish verb (used with object) noun
• outwish verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of wish¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb wishen, Old English wȳscan; cognate with German wünschen, Old Norse æskja; akin to Old English wynn “joy” ( winsome ), Latin venus “charm” ( Venus ); noun derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of wish¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with wish , also see if wishes were horses .

Example Sentences

Sending our love and best wishes to you both as you start your new life together.

From Fortune

While there is a wish amongst leaders to protect their own people first, the response to this pandemic has to be collective.

From Fortune

There’s a wish list from San Diego Council members of what they’d like to get done with that $62 million.

From Voice of San Diego

We get lots of encouraging comments from users whose wishes were included in our roadmap.

From Search Engine Watch

Now, it should be noted that meta robots tag might be ignored at any point, but mostly crawlers respect the wishes of the webmasters.

From Search Engine Watch

And yes, our values include tolerance of those who wish to make fun of religion.

From The Daily Beast

I wish I was a young Carole King, working in the Brill Building.

From The Daily Beast

Ultimately, 2015 might be the year American anti-LGBT advocates wish they could skip.

From The Daily Beast

At this point Marvin gives his Liberty Valance smile, the kind that makes you wish you could disintegrate in front of him.

From The Daily Beast

Still, I wish that DuVernay had given us more about those who are less famous besides a scene where they all eat dinner together.

From The Daily Beast

When Yima pressed the earth with this ring, the genius of the Earth, Aramaîti, responded to his wish and order.

From Project Gutenberg

I mean it is well my mother is ill, and doesn't wish to eat, for there would be nothing for her, if she did.

From Project Gutenberg

At the end of the first year, however, she resigned this privilege because she did not wish to accept the conditions of the gift.

From Project Gutenberg

How often did I then wish myself with my dear Glumdalchtch, from whom one single hour had so far divided me.

From Project Gutenberg

As the hopeless wish passed through his soul, the iron entered with it, but did not pass away.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• aspire
• choose
• crave
• envy
• please
• prefer
• want
• yearn

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.