wishful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wishful
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.
Maybe it’s idealist and naive, or apple-pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking, but I believe that they can win.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026
If this sounds like wishful thinking, you can hardly be blamed.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
It's also not yet clear if any lucky fans will get an invite, a theory perhaps wrapped in wishful thinking that cropped up due to Swift inviting devout fans to her home in the past.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
“This is not just our wishful thinking. It is what we hear from our customers, and it is evident in the demand profile for our products.”
From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026
Ever since they’d left Vancouver, she’d been calling to him in her thoughts, hoping he would hear her and come find her, but that was just wishful thinking.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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.
