wish
Usage
What are other ways to say wish?
To wish is to feel an impulse toward attainment or possession of something; the strength of the feeling may be of greater or lesser intensity: I wish I could go home. Desire, a more formal verb, suggests a strong wish: They desire liberation. Want, usually colloquial in use, suggests a feeling of lack or need that imperatively demands fulfillment: People all over the world want peace.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I wish I could say that, in the wake of our glorious triumph, with all there is to do, I don’t spend one minute thinking back to that first meeting with Wiatt and Weintraub.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
It was a direct contrast to his defeat by Thiem in 2020, where a tearful Zverev said during the trophy presentation: "I wish one day I can bring the trophy home."
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Their wish is akin to hoping for a bigger house fire so they can receive a bigger payout from their homeowners’ insurance.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
I wish there was more of that in the U.S. in general.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
There’s nothing defensive or obnoxious at all . . . and I wish there was.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
She said she wishes California and Congress had acted sooner but hopes a win now will help other Jewish families reclaim what is rightfully theirs in the future.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Lifestyle influencer Nara Smith, the couture-clad queen of tradwives, really wishes people would stop calling her a tradwife.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
Julian initially hoped to see hell and purgatory in her “showings” but her wishes are not granted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
"I feel like it's a common sentiment, that everyone wishes they could have done something."
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
He can’t get to that picture, as much as he wishes he could.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
“In my opinion, what they wished me to do is say nothing, but that is not how Safety is supposed to operate.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
They thanked me for being there, and said they wished more Albanian journalists would come and talk to them.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
Fox thanked her for her service and wished her well in her “next chapter.”
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
Clients trusted him with their special moments: engagements, weddings and anniversaries, or when they simply wished to treat themselves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
Just like we dreamed it and wished it and read about it.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
I’m not wishing another pandemic on us, mind you.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
But she also fully gets the appeal of wishing these two would just suck it up and admit their affection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Refugees wishing to work or engage in a trade or business can apply for a special permit.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
No one dies wishing they had worked more than they needed to — but plenty do wishing they had spent more time with their loved ones.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
She lay down and covered her face again with the sheet, wishing she didn’t ever have to take it off.
From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins
Vocabulary lists containing wish
