wish
Usage
What are other ways to say wish?
To wish is to feel an impulse toward attainment or possession of something; the strength of the feeling may be of greater or lesser intensity: I wish I could go home. Desire, a more formal verb, suggests a strong wish: They desire liberation. Want, usually colloquial in use, suggests a feeling of lack or need that imperatively demands fulfillment: People all over the world want peace.
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.
After a disastrous conversation, Bear ends up making the wish himself, breaking the stick and wishing that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
I’ve written about my on-again, off-again love affair with my own electric vehicle, from things I wish I had known before buying one to my experience taking one on a road trip.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
"We wish her all the best in the next chapter of her career."
From BBC • May 14, 2026
“We wish it were under different circumstances, but we are honored to care for you while you reside in our beautiful state.”
From Slate • May 14, 2026
‘I’ve been trying to remember exactly what Saeunn does. She’s always trying to teach me Magecraft, and I’m always going hunting instead. I wish I’d listened.’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Vocabulary lists containing wish
