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wish
[ wish ]
verb (used with object)
- to want; desire; long for (usually followed by an infinitive or a clause):
I wish to travel.
I wish that it were morning.
Synonyms:
- to desire (a person or thing) to be (as specified):
to wish the problem settled.
- to entertain wishes, favorably or otherwise, for:
to wish someone well;
to wish someone ill.
- to bid, as in greeting or leave-taking:
to wish someone a good morning.
- to request or charge:
I wish him to come.
Synonyms: ,
verb (used without object)
- to desire; long; yearn (often followed by for ):
Mother says I may go if I wish.
I wished for a book.
- to make a wish:
She wished more than she worked.
noun
- an act or instance of wishing.
- a request or command:
I was never forgiven for disregarding my father's wishes.
Synonyms: , ,
- an expression of a wish, often one of a kindly or courteous nature:
to send one's best wishes.
- something wished or desired:
He got his wish—a new car.
verb phrase
- to force or impose (usually used in the negative):
I wouldn't wish that awful job on my worst enemy.
- Also wish upon. to make a wish using some object as a magical talisman:
to wish on a star.
wish
/ ɪʃ /
verb
- whentr, takes a clause as object or an infinitive; when intr, often foll by for to want or desire (something, often that which cannot be or is not the case)
to wish for peace
I wish I lived in Italy
- tr to feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune of
I wish you well
- tr to desire or prefer to be as specified
- tr to greet as specified; bid
he wished us good afternoon
- formal.tr to order politely
I wish you to come at three o'clock
noun
- the act of wishing; the expression of some desire or mental inclination
to make a wish
- something desired or wished for
he got his wish
- usually plural expressed hopes or desire, esp for someone's welfare, health, etc
- formal.often plural a polite order or request
Derived Forms
- ˈɾ, adjective
- ˈɾ, noun
Other Word Forms
- ɾİ noun
- ɾl adjective
- t·ɾ verb (used with object) noun
- dzܳw verb (used with object)
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of wish1
Idioms and Phrases
In addition to the idiom beginning with wish , also see if wishes were horses .Example Sentences
"The Government contends that this is all okay because the mother wishes that the child be deported with her," Doughty wrote.
Name a country song you wish you could sing but you know you can’t.
“The crowd was great. The energy, we expected. I would have wished that we did a better job of just weathering that.”
I wish him well but the Wolverines have a lot of work to do.
Still, he wishes the debate was "less polarising".
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When To Use
are other ways to say wish?
To wish is to want or long for something. How is wish different from desire and want? Find out on .
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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