Word
wish
US/ˈwɪʃ/
UK/wˈɪʃ/
Definitions
01to want the impossible
v. to want something to be true or to happen, even though it is impossible or unlikely.
v. to desire a state of affairs that is contrary to fact or unlikely to occur; typically followed by a clause in the past tense or 'would'.
“I wish I could speak Italian so I could talk to my neighbors.”
“Many residents wish the city council would reconsider the demolition of the historic library before construction begins next month.”
Pitfall
I wish I am taller.
I wish I were taller.
When wishing for something that isn't true right now, use the past tense (or 'were' for the verb 'to be').
02to want to do something
v. to want to do something or to have something happen.
v. to desire or request to perform an action; often used as a more formal alternative to 'want'.
“If you wish to leave the meeting early, please let us know.”
“The passengers who wish to upgrade to business class should proceed to the service desk before boarding commences.”
Formal
03to offer a greeting
v. to say that you hope someone has a good day, a happy birthday, or success.
v. to express a hope or a greeting directed toward someone else; functions as a ditransitive verb.
“We wished him a happy birthday and gave him a small gift.”
“The outgoing president wished her successor the best of luck in navigating the complex economic challenges ahead.”
04a desire or hope
n. a feeling that you want something to happen.
n. a desire, longing, or strong inclination for a specific outcome.
“It was his father's wish that he should study medicine at university.”
“The charity works tirelessly to fulfill the final wishes of children suffering from terminal illnesses.”
Synonyms
05a magical request
n. a request for something to happen by magic, like when you blow out birthday candles.
n. an expression of desire often associated with supernatural intervention or ritualistic acts.
“Close your eyes, make a wish, and blow out the candles.”
“In the folk tale, the fisherman is granted a single wish by the golden fish he rescued from the net.”
Synonyms
Confusables
Hope describes a desire for a possible or likely future, while wish describes a desire for an impossible situation or something contrary to current reality.
RememberHope is for possibilities; wish is for fantasies.
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
Grammar
The word in film
Wish · 2023 · Fantasy
- Directed by:
- Fawn Veerasunthorn
Fawn Veerasunthorn directed this Disney animated musical about a young girl who makes a powerful plea to the stars. The story explores what happens when a magical request becomes real and helps a community fight against a selfish king.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/wish