wished; wishing; wishes
1
: to have a desire for (something, such as something unattainable)
wished he could live his life over
2
: to give expression to as a wish : bid
wish them good night
3
a
: to give form to (a wish)
b
: to express a wish for
c
: to request in the form of a wish : order
d
: to desire (a person or thing) to be as specified
cannot wish our problems away
4
: to confer (something unwanted) on someone : foist
1
: to have a desire : want
wishing for more
2
: to make a wish
wish on a falling star
wisher
noun
Examples of wish in a Sentence
Verb
You may use the telephone, if you wish.
She wished them a happy New Year.
We wish you a Merry Christmas.
Noun
He has a wish to be reunited with his son.
The genie will grant you three wishes.
Send her my good wishes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
Some will wish this was possible when drum dynamo Mark Guiliana performs Friday night at UC San Diego at almost exactly the same time Luciana Souza sings at the nearby Athenaeum.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2024
Now dozens are wishing that the theories prove to be true, especially since the Carolinas haven’t been a stop on her world famous tour.
—Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024
Companies wishing to protect themselves from competition are still able to use tools like non-disclosure agreements or filing lawsuits over trade secrets, according to the FTC.
—Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
After the horrendous knife attack in Sydney on April 13, Kate joined Prince William in sending her thoughts and wishes to Australia.
—Harriet Johnston, Glamour, 23 Apr. 2024
Children wishing to tube must be 8 years or older and at least 4 feet tall.
—The Arizona Republic, 23 Apr. 2024
Johnson has dreams for the property and doesn't wish to part with it.
—Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024
Feature Photography Finalist: Gina Ferazzi for a series of photos of the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein lying in state at San Francisco’s City Hall as mourners wished her goodbye.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Make their wish come true with a highly rated, attractive, and easy-to-use digital frame.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 11 Apr. 2024
The police department has placed a box in its lobby for people to leave birthday wishes and cards.
—Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024
Joker grows up and, now played by Drew, makes her way to Gotham against her parents’ wishes, with the dream of getting into comedy.
—Abraham Josephine Riesman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
The late songwriter's longtime partner, Prudence Fenton, had set out to fulfill Willis' documentary wishes.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 7 Apr. 2024
To ensure everyone was on the same page, Taylor sent a text requesting their families abide by their wishes.
—Fortesa Latifi, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Several of Grijalva's colleagues in D.C. and in his district expressed well wishes for the congressman.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 2 Apr. 2024
And so, her wish became reality when the exhibition Manish Arora: Life Is Beautiful opened at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta this week.
—Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
All of the festivals wished her rest and recovery on social media.
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
Some will wish this was possible when drum dynamo Mark Guiliana performs Friday night at UC San Diego at almost exactly the same time Luciana Souza sings at the nearby Athenaeum.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2024
Now dozens are wishing that the theories prove to be true, especially since the Carolinas haven’t been a stop on her world famous tour.
—Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024
Companies wishing to protect themselves from competition are still able to use tools like non-disclosure agreements or filing lawsuits over trade secrets, according to the FTC.
—Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
After the horrendous knife attack in Sydney on April 13, Kate joined Prince William in sending her thoughts and wishes to Australia.
—Harriet Johnston, Glamour, 23 Apr. 2024
Children wishing to tube must be 8 years or older and at least 4 feet tall.
—The Arizona Republic, 23 Apr. 2024
Johnson has dreams for the property and doesn't wish to part with it.
—Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024
Feature Photography Finalist: Gina Ferazzi for a series of photos of the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein lying in state at San Francisco’s City Hall as mourners wished her goodbye.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Noun
Palmer's show of support for the former couple comes as Turner's ex on the show, Faith Martin, also offered her well wishes.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Make their wish come true with a highly rated, attractive, and easy-to-use digital frame.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 11 Apr. 2024
The police department has placed a box in its lobby for people to leave birthday wishes and cards.
—Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024
Joker grows up and, now played by Drew, makes her way to Gotham against her parents’ wishes, with the dream of getting into comedy.
—Abraham Josephine Riesman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
The late songwriter's longtime partner, Prudence Fenton, had set out to fulfill Willis' documentary wishes.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 7 Apr. 2024
To ensure everyone was on the same page, Taylor sent a text requesting their families abide by their wishes.
—Fortesa Latifi, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Several of Grijalva's colleagues in D.C. and in his district expressed well wishes for the congressman.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 2 Apr. 2024
And so, her wish became reality when the exhibition Manish Arora: Life Is Beautiful opened at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta this week.
—Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wish
Cite this Entry
“Wish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wish. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wish
2 of 2 noun1
a
: an act or instance of wishing or desire
a wish to travel
b
: an object of desire : goal
I got my wish—a good score on the test
2
: a wishing of good fortune
sends her best wishes
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