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)

   to wish for peace

   I wish I lived in Italy

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

Whether Smotrich will get his wish remains to be seen.

From BBC

T-levels are designed to cater for students who want an alternative to A-levels but do not wish to take an apprenticeship, which typically requires as much as 80% of a student's time to be spent with an employer.

From BBC

"I think the prosecution's wish is to deprive the French people of the ability to vote for whom they want," she said after the hearing in the French capital, where she is on trial with 24 other defendants.

From BBC

"My life will end after this tweet," he wrote at 19:20, adding: "I wish that one day Iranians will wake up and overcome slavery."

From BBC

In a recent chat with Vanity Fair, Kidman veered away from details pertaining to her role in the A24 erotic thriller to discuss her wish list of directors and producers she has yet to work with but would like to.

From Salon

Related Words

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