wishful
adjective
having or showing a wish; desirous; longing.
wishfulness
-
a word derived from
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.
The direction of Michael Greif and Schele Williams valiantly tries to contain the material’s hokiness without undercutting the wishfulness that lies at the heart of the story’s broad emotional appeal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026
The finale is “People Have the Power,” a song whose earnest wishfulness can feel awkward in concert settings, where it’s a pro forma set-ender.
From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2018
There’s a degree of wishfulness here, since any advance will hinge of taming the very forces whose existence form the spine of modern Brazilian history.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2016
During the last days of 1963, at the height of the widowed First Lady’s public deification, Pearson writes, with more wishfulness than evidence, that “resentment against Jackie is mounting” among Washington ladies who lunch.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 28, 2015
Her figure, drawn up with the intensity of her wishfulness, relaxed.
From The City of Delight A Love Drama of the Siege and Fall of Jerusalem by Frank X. Leyendecker
