wish

[ wish ]

/ wɪʃ /

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See synonyms for: wish / wished / wishes / wishing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to want; desire; long for (usually followed by an infinitive or a clause): I wish to travel. I wish that it were morning.

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)

to desire; long; yearn (often followed by for): Mother says I may go if I wish. I wished for a book.

to make a wish: She wished more than she worked.

noun

an act or instance of wishing.

a request or command: I was never forgiven for disregarding my father's wishes.

an expression of a wish, often one of a kindly or courteous nature: to send one's best wishes.

something wished or desired: He got his wish—a new car.

Verb Phrases

wish on,

to force or impose (usually used in the negative): I wouldn't wish that awful job on my worst enemy.
Also wish upon. to make a wish using some object as a magical talisman: to wish on a star.

OTHER WORDS FOR wish

1 crave.

5 direct, order.

9 desire, will, want.

See synonyms for wish on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

How to use wish in a sentence

In the pilot episode of Mad Men, a researcher tells Don Draper that consumers have a “death wish” and that this is why they are drawn to cigarettes.
How the pandemic got people smoking again|Melinda Fakuade|November 12, 2020|Vox
Common-sense policies, more civility, a more environmentally friendly industry — those were on everyone’s wish list.
How the lessons of 2020 may make travel better in the long run|Christopher Elliott|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
His role consists of taking policy recommendations and wishes and translating them to Big Business and Big Tech, eventually working to come to a deal that pleases all palates.
Meet the three people who will define economic policy for the next four years|Nicole Goodkind|November 7, 2020|Fortune
For example, in the spirit of gift-giving, people are sending their wish lists to family and friends, hoping that what they ask for will appear under the tree.
4 ways to make your e-commerce experience engaging and bright|Sponsored Content: Cloudinary|October 27, 2020|Search Engine Land

The state also declined to cancel the annual August motorcycle rally in Sturgis, against the wishes of some locals.
A key COVID metric has surprisingly reversed course|Geoffrey Colvin|October 15, 2020|Fortune
I really wanted Trenchmouth to succeed and at the time wished we were as big as Green Day.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
David Prowse, the actor who portrayed Darth Vader, wished to come back but had to turn down the role because of ill health.
Juiciest ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)|Rich Goldstein|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In his last tweet, he wished his followers a “Merry Christmas.”
Rand Paul Has a Few Festivus Grievances|Ben Jacobs|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Only on Broadway could they write what they wanted and adventurously as they wished.
When Broadway Musicals Were Dark And Subversive|Laurence Maslon|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Selling off the extras, I saw my neighbor marvel at the scent and murmur that he wished he could afford one.
A Million Ways to Die in Prison|Daniel Genis|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And although we gabbled freely enough, MacRae avoided all mention of the persons of whom I most wished to hear.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Mrs. Jolly Robin had often wished—when she was trying to feed a rapidly-growing family—that she could hunt forp.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
The moment was an awkward one, and Cynthia wished madly that she had not been prompted to ask that unfortunate question.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
He wished her mother had not been quite such an appalling person, fat and painted.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
He had not estimated that if Jean Baptiste sought his wife secretly, it must have been because he wished to avoid him.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux

British Dictionary definitions for wish

wish

/ (wɪʃ) /

verb

(when tr, 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

(tr) to feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune ofI wish you well

(tr) to desire or prefer to be as specified

(tr) to greet as specified; bidhe wished us good afternoon

(tr) formal to order politelyI wish you to come at three o'clock

noun

the act of wishing; the expression of some desire or mental inclinationto make a wish

something desired or wished forhe got his wish

(usually plural) expressed hopes or desire, esp for someone's welfare, health, etc

(often plural) formal a polite order or request

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

In addition to the idiom beginning with wish

wish on

also see:

if wishes were horses

wish

OTHER WORDS FOR wish

Origin of wish

OTHER WORDS FROM wish

Words related to wish

How to use wish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wish

Derived forms of wish

Word Origin for wish

Other Idioms and Phrases with wish