wished

verb

past tense of wish
1
as in imposed
to offer (something fake, useless, or inferior) as genuine, useful, or valuable despite my protestations, the dreaded position of club secretary was wished on me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in wanted
to see fit you're free to sit wherever you wish

Synonyms & Similar 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 wished Nearly 30 years after his father went missing, Ademi both feared and wished that his remains will finally be found. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 Older Generations Regret Not Traveling More A poll of 2,000 adults found New Zealand, Japan and Australia were the locations older generations most wished to visit but had never been to. — Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The 62-year-old man, who wished to remain anonymous, said the fear on Nostrand Ave. — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026 In an internal email shared by the 49ers on Saturday, York wished Marathe well and thanked him for his commitment to the franchise. — Matt Barrows, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 This year, my kids wished my partner a happy Father’s Day either online or in person. — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 Matthew McConaughey wished Woody Harrelson a happy 65th birthday. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026 The Constitution’s architects, despite notoriously excluding many Americans from the political community, wished those who were granted the right of self-determination to be able to do so on an equal basis. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026 Clark, 46, wished others who were laid off by ESPN on Tuesday well, empathizing with those who lost their jobs. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wished
  1. imposed
  2. wanted
  3. inflicted
  4. pleased
  5. forced
  6. palmed
Verb
  • Western nations have imposed economic and political sanctions in response to the military takeover and violent repression of opposition, which has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and given rise to a civil war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Powell’s record low comes as the seven states that share the Colorado River’s water wait to find out what cuts will be imposed.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of imposed
Verb
  • Rocky start for Loop Minter wanted to look at the tape first.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • At a loss for words…just wanted to mark this moment and share your ever ready and present smile.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of wanted
Verb
  • Summary Record heatwaves across the UK and Europe this summer have inflicted substantial economic costs, highlighted by two new reports.
    — Jamie Hailstone, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Even Corlys tries to negotiate for peace rather than see more devastation inflicted on soldiers and innocent people alike (not to mention the children Ormund lines around the city's gates as human shields).
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of inflicted
Verb
  • Alicent will not be pleased by the death of her innocent daughter.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Jim was, however, pleased to see that Citi thinks Azure is doing well.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 15 July 2026
Definition of pleased
Verb
  • Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, was forced to roll out a second artificial surface after the World Cup because its first attempt didn’t pass an independent lab test as required by the NFL and NFLPA.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The champion faced a challenging opponent, as Garry forced him to work hard for seven takedowns and inflicted some facial damage.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of forced
Verb
  • For the final punchline, Bounou shuffled right, stood upright, and palmed away Crysencio Summerville’s effort.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 7 July 2026
  • Al-Amri, who had a shot denied by Uruguay's Fernando Muslera earlier in the first half, put his squad ahead with a quick tap-in after Muslera palmed away a header.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Definition of palmed

Browse Nearby Words

wish
wished
wished (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Wished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wished. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wished

Nglish: Translation of wished for Spanish Speakers

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