wishful thinking

noun

: the attribution of reality to what one wishes to be true or the tenuous justification of what one wants to believe

Examples of wishful thinking in a Sentence

The idea that the enemy will immediately surrender is nothing more than wishful thinking.

Recent Examples on the Web

Maybe this is just wishful thinking from a sports fan who wants to see a baseball team in my town, but this doesn’t feel like the end of Orlando’s baseball hopes. —Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2025

Others effectively characterized Agran’s reasoning as wishful thinking. —Jonathan Horwitz, Oc Register, 28 May 2025

Given that many of the relevant technologies have yet to be fully developed, nor is there a clear sense of how many interceptors will be needed to have even a minimal capability to intercept incoming missiles, the three year deadline is the very definition of wishful thinking. —William Hartung, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

But the whole episode speaks to the volatility of the markets today — and perhaps a bit of wishful thinking. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wishful thinking

• interlinking
• blinking
• clinking
• drinking
• inking
• kinking
• linking
• shrinking
• sinking
• slinking
• stinking
• winking