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.
"Those passengers sitting in the plane, maybe they still have some work stuck, their last wish still unfulfilled."
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
Mark Hulbert explained how gold’s usefulness as a hedge against geopolitical risk depends on how long you wish to commit.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026
What would summer on the beach be without chocolate and marshmallows between graham crackers—or without angst and wish fulfillment between book covers?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
Academics may think what they wish of Congress; this court’s jurisprudence ought not be grounded in such contempt.”
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
“We did join—before things got violent. Now, none of our parents wants us to go. I get it. Still, I wish I could be there,” Zora says.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Vocabulary lists containing wish
