well-wishers

noun

plural of well-wisher
as in fans
someone who wants another person to be happy, successful, etc. Dozens of well-wishers gathered to say goodbye to him.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of well-wishers Unaware of the ruse, the press, suspected GPU agents, and hired well-wishers crowded the main Mexico City rail station, eagerly awaiting Trotsky’s train—which never arrived. — Literary Hub, 28 July 2026 At Imperial Palace events, well-wishers wave small versions of the flag to cheer their beloved emperor and his family. — ABC News, 17 July 2026 On Monday, the day before launch, Menon and his two Russian crewmates held a final, ceremonial meeting with well-wishers at the Cosmonaut Hotel. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026 Dad’s well-wishers were no longer wishing us well. — Griffin Dunne, Vulture, 19 June 2026 The monarch waved to the well-wishers gathered in the famous Mall that stretches from the palace to Trafalgar Square in central London, and the royals watched the flypast by the Royal Air Force. — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026 Artan, Africa’s Referee of the Year in 2025, was greeted Wednesday at Aden Adde International Airport in Somalia by government officials and hundreds of well-wishers. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026 Victor Wembanyama stepped off the court for a moment before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, accepted greetings from a handful of well-wishers in San Antonio Spurs jerseys, then bowed his head to join them in a quick prayer. — Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026 His phone rang with calls from well-wishers asking about the search, and about his daughter Malak. — Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-wishers
  1. fans
  2. devotees
  3. friends
  4. supporters
Noun
  • Millions of new fans could discover elite international volleyball just before the Olympic spotlight arrives.
    — Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Brands should be listening to athletes to ensure the relationship feels authentic and impactful to everyone — athletes themselves and the fans.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of fans
Noun
  • Now that it's disappeared from store shelves, longtime devotees have launched a petition to bring it back, flooded social media with disappointment and searched for substitutes.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • During the annual Shivaratri festival in Nepal in spring, devotees freely smoke joints at the temples of the revered Hindu god Shiva.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of devotees
Noun
  • The finale underlines that break in its final scenes, cross-cutting between the former friends as Alicent makes her first and only appearance in the episode at the exact moment the full tragedy of Rhaenyra’s upper hand becomes apparent.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • For decades, the Skyline Cinema in Dillon, Colorado has been one of the few places Summit County families go to watch the latest movie, teenagers go for their first jobs, and friends go to spend a few hours together.
    — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of friends
Noun
  • Some Modi supporters have doubled down, however, with online activists aligned to Modi’s party seeking to identify protesters and share their personal details online to intimidate them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • If the constitutional amendment passes, supporters hope to elect at least four conservative, antiabortion justices to the seven-member court by 2033.
    — John Hanna, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of supporters

Browse Nearby Words

well-wisher
well-wishers
well-wishing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Well-wishers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-wishers. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of baptism of fire

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All