WISHES Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

wishes 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of wish

as in imposes

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

Relevance

as in wants

to see fit you're free to sit wherever you wish

Synonyms & Similar Words

wishes

2 of 2

noun

plural of wish

as in desires

Related Words

as in respects

Related Words

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 wishes

Verb

Adidas, the world’s second-largest sportswear maker by global revenues, has identified basketball as a priority sport particularly in North America, where the company wishes to cut into rival Nike’s market share. — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Leaving the lavatory smelly for the next passenger There’s another lavatory habit Peters wishes travelers would adopt—and this one could earn you some silent appreciation from whoever is waiting outside the door. — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2026 While disagreement has always been baked into the premise of The View, Hostin wishes more of those conversations happened away from television too. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 School staff cannot lie to parents — including matters that a student wishes to conceal from their parents. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 This one goes out to anyone who wishes the play scene in Revolutionary Road had been the whole dang movie. — John Ross, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026 The purchase of a Premier League club in 2021 has come to look like a sound investment, and there is little obvious sense that PIF wishes to back out of St James’ Park. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Treating against the parents’ wishes would entail calling state authorities and requesting an emergency removal. — Eric Boodman, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026 In the supernatural horror film, a young man wishes for Nikki to love him more than anything, but the wish quickly takes a terrifying turn. — Denis Akbari, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Noun

Since 1981, Disney has helped fulfill wishes with the organization for more than 175,000 children, or a wish an hour each day. — Brian Brant, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wishes

Verb

The bill, named after the late Republican senator and which was passed by Congress this month, imposes primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and other countries that support Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

— Jamie Dorrington, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
This imposes substantial costs to consumers, limits access to free information and content on the open web, and reduces pathways to earnings for writers and content producers.

— Vivek Shah, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of imposes

Noun

And members of these new churches were mostly not the black-dressed, hypocritical, sour-faced, monocultural figures favored by popular narrative, but often included colorful figures who were sometimes surprisingly modern in their desires.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
The Full Moon in your sign puts your identity, desires, and personal direction under a bright light, making old compromises harder to maintain automatically.

— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of desires

Noun

The famed trio gathered to pay respects to producer Aaron Spelling at the 2006 Emmys, the first time the threesome had been on TV together since Season 1.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2026
Venus retrograde in Scorpio and Libra lasts from October 3 to November 13, and asks us to decipher who and what respects and esteems us (and vice versa).

— Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of respects

Verb

The betrayal Murray inflicts on Tremblay’s Kaczynski is compelling, even as the film presses it into service as an explanation for every horror that followed.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
The more suffering Russia inflicts on Ukrainian civilians, the more Europe invests in Ukraine’s defense and its own.

— MICHAEL KIMMAGE, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of inflicts

Verb

Coastal decor darling Serena & Lily brings you the Pacifica modular collection to suit any configuration that pleases you.

— Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 28 May 2026
For something more substantial, Ramsey’s pleases both vegetarians and meat eaters with options such as BBQ brisket sandwich with homemade onion straws or Zucchini Noodle Thai Bowl.

— Sarah Miller, Midwest Living, 29 Apr. 2026

Definition of pleases

Noun

The precise details of what happened there are obscure, and representatives for Beck did not respond to my requests for comment.

— Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
The platform manager handles the initial liquidity, valuation, regulatory and reporting requirements, although some expectations may reach PortCos through requests for faster data and stronger reporting.

— Nate Heeren, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026