Synonyms

wishful

American

[wish-fuhl] / ˈwɪʃ fəl /

adjective

having or showing a wish; desirous; longing.

wishful British

/ ˈwɪʃfʊl /

adjective

having wishes or characterized by wishing

"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 Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of wishful

First recorded in 1515–25; wish + -ful

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 world will be a better place when statesmen and their cronies routinely submit their strategic brainstorms to an LLM, free of wishful thinking or tunnel vision.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

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

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

They both know it’s wishful thinking that borders on delusion, but right now it’s all they have.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023