wish

1 of 2

verb

wished; wishing; wishes

transitive verb

1
: to have a desire for (something, such as something unattainable)
wished he could live his life over
2
: to give expression to as a wish : bid
wish them good night
3
a
: to give form to (a wish)
b
: to express a wish for
c
: to request in the form of a wish : order
d
: to desire (a person or thing) to be as specified
cannot wish our problems away
4
: to confer (something unwanted) on someone : foist

intransitive verb

1
: to have a desire : want
wishing for more
2
: to make a wish
wish on a falling star
wisher noun

wish

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an act or instance of wishing or desire : want
a wish to travel
b
: an object of desire : goal
2
a
: an expressed will or desire : mandate
b
: a request or command couched as a wish
3
: an invocation of good or evil fortune on someone
Choose the Right Synonym for wish

desire, wish, want, crave, covet mean to have a longing for.

desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim.

desires to start a new life

wish sometimes implies a general or transient longing especially for the unattainable.

wishes for permanent world peace

want specifically suggests a felt need or lack.

wants to have a family

crave stresses the force of physical appetite or emotional need.

craves sweets

covet implies strong envious desire.

covets his rise to fame

Examples of wish in a Sentence

Verb You may use the telephone, if you wish. She wished them a happy New Year. We wish you a Merry Christmas. Noun He has a wish to be reunited with his son. The genie will grant you three wishes. Send her my good wishes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The teen series follows Lay Lay (Alaya High), an avatar from an affirmation app who magically comes to life after her best friend Sadie (Gabrielle Nevaeh) wishes on a star. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 In this tale, nine-year-old Sebastian, after a fight with his mother, wishes that the maid Lupe was his mother instead. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 Lou Richie, an Oakland native, social activist and longtime Bishop O’Dowd boys basketball coach, wished that the Giants had found a way to keep Brooks-Moon in the booth. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 Candidates who wish to replace Ansari in the special election can begin collecting signatures to petition to be on the ballot. Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024 This time, however, Wallace wished to keep the contact hidden. Benn Steil, Foreign Affairs, 19 Mar. 2024 Alexander Baxter Guests cast papers into the bonfire of woes to be left behind in winter, and wishes to be invited in with spring. Sarah Wood, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024 Rob shared his own birthday post with a message of thanks to those who wished him well. Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 Las Fotos Project is asking for donations and has released an equipment list for those who wish to purchase and donate an item. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Ringo would glare disapprovingly, but this was one circumstance in which his wishes did not prevail. David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024 His wish comes true and the body swap will present challenges and life lessons to both women, one a high-flying marketing executive and the other a domestic worker with low self-esteem. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 Mackenzie extended her best wishes to the couple with a comment on Tyler’s Instagram post. Mckinley Franklin, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 The resolution is not a law, but an expression of the council's wishes and perspective. Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024 The former Indiana governor lost favor among Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, when Pence refused to carry out Trump’s wishes to block certification of the 2020 election results. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Mar. 2024 The show focused on James St. Patrick (played by Omari Hardwick), a drug dealer nicknamed Ghost whose only wish was to leave the world of crime behind and become a legitimate businessman. Damien Scott, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 Sean Lennon used the U.K.’s Mother’s Day to send best wishes to his 91-year-old mother Yoko Ono. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 But Parton got word of Gold's wish and came through for him, just in time for Christmas, chatting with him on Dec. 22. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English wisshen, from Old English wȳscan; akin to Old High German wunsken to wish, Sanskrit vāñchati he wishes, vanoti he strives for — more at win

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wish was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wish

Cite this Entry

“Wish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wish. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wish

1 of 2 verb
1
: to have a desire : long for : want
wish you were here
wish for a puppy
2
: to form or express a desire concerning
wished them a happy New Year
3
: to request by expressing a desire
I wish you to go now
wisher noun

wish

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: an act or instance of wishing or desire
a wish to travel
b
: an object of desire : goal
I got my wish—a good score on the test
2
: a wishing of good fortune
sends her best wishes

More from Merriam-Webster on wish

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