wishful

adjective

wish·​ful ˈwish-fəl 

1

a

: expressive of a wish : hopeful

looked at the toys with wishful eyes

b

: having a wish : desirous

2

: according with wishes rather than reality

wishful dreams

wishfully

ˈwish-fə-lē 

adverb

wishfulness noun

Examples of wishful in a Sentence

her wishful attempts to change her husband's bad habits

Recent Examples on the Web

Nonmaterialism was the sort of wishful nonsense preached by those who weren’t in any real danger of going hungry. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Early spring is the season that separates wishful gardeners from productive ones. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026

Stocks fell from their records Thursday after oil prices yo-yoed as Wall Street waits to see whether its hopes for a deal to end the Iran war are warranted or just wishful. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026

Though most may be in a shared situation in reality, at least one person could cling to wishful belief in a happy fantasy, or someone may not be fully transparent. — Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing wishful

• wishful thinking

Kids Definition

wishful

adjective

wish·​ful ˈwish-fəl 

1

: having a wish : desirous

2

: based on wishes rather than fact

wishful thinking

wishfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

wishfulness noun