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.
Soon after, Melissa Gordon texted her new friend to wish her good luck and rest.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
Many of us wish we had learned a language to a higher level at school.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
I just wish they asked themselves: Should I do this?
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
"I need that multi-year budget, particularly for the farming community in Northern Ireland, giving certainty in terms of the support that we wish to deliver, not just in this year, but in future financial years."
From BBC • May 21, 2026
“I just wish she didn’t live so far away.”
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Vocabulary lists containing wish
