What does "wish" mean?
A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.
Wish
/wɪʃ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.
- Grammar: wish is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: want, address, aim, aim at.
- Useful contrasts: unwished, actuality, apathy.
- Usage evidence: I wish I could care more about my grades but it seems that, at a certain point of my life, I decided they wouldn't be so important anymore.
How to use "wish"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wish" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wish" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wish" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wish" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wish" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "want" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wish", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.
"It is my wish that the bequest (should) be given to an almshouse."
- 2 the particular preference that you have wordnet
- 3 An expression of such a desire, often connected with ideas of magic and supernatural power.
"make a wish"
- 4 (usually plural) a polite expression of desire for someone's welfare wordnet
- 5 The thing desired or longed for.
"My dearest wish is to see them happily married."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 an expression of some desire or inclination wordnet
- 7 A water meadow.
- 8 a specific feeling of desire wordnet
Verb
- 1 To desire; to want. transitive
"I'll come tomorrow, if you wish (it)."
- 2 invoke upon wordnet
- 3 To hope (+ object clause with may or in present subjunctive). archaic, transitive
"I wish he mean me well, that he takes so much pains!"
- 4 order politely; express a wish for wordnet
- 5 To hope (for a particular outcome), even if that outcome is unlikely to occur or cannot occur. intransitive
"This is as good an argument as an antiquary could wish for."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 make or express a wish wordnet
- 7 To bestow (a thought or gesture) towards (someone or something). ditransitive
"We wish you a merry Christmas."
- 8 feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune of wordnet
- 9 To request or desire to do an activity. intransitive
"Anyone who wishes to may leave now."
- 10 to hope, to desire or to prefer to have something, or to do something wordnet
- 11 To recommend; to seek confidence or favour on behalf of. transitive
"I was wished to your worship by a gentleman."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
"There was Evans, and that marvel among actors, Wish, who is also a modest man. We had all come down to the Mermaid Club that Saturday morning, except Clayton, who had slept there overnight […]"
Example
"I wish I could care more about my grades but it seems that, at a certain point of my life, I decided they wouldn't be so important anymore."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wish"?
Common synonyms include: want, address, aim, aim at, ambition, animus.
How do you use "wish" in a sentence?
I wish I could care more about my grades but it seems that, at a certain point of my life, I decided they wouldn't be so important anymore.
How do you pronounce "wish"?
Pronounced /wɪʃ/.
Etymology
From Middle English wisshen, wischen, wüschen, from Old English wȳsċan (“to wish”), from Proto-West Germanic *wunskijan, from Proto-Germanic *wunskijaną (“to wish”), from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to wish, love”). Cognate with Scots wis (“to wish”), Saterland Frisian wonskje (“to wish”), West Frisian winskje (“to wish”), Dutch wensen (“to wish”), German wünschen (“to wish”), Luxembourgish wënschen (“to wish”), Yiddish ווינטשן (vintshn, “to wish”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål ønske (“to wish”), Faroese ynskja (“to wish, to desire”), Icelandic æskja, óska (“to wish”), Norwegian Nynorsk ønskja, ønskje, ønska, ønske, ynskja, ynskje (“to wish, to desire”), Swedish önska (“to wish”). Via PIE cognate with Latin Venus, veneror (“venerate, honour, love”), English wonder.