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:
Now it’s a provocation by two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, who say they identify as women and wish to join the league.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
That old saw about being careful what you wish for comes to mind.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
This week, she crunched the numbers for a couple doing well financially — running two businesses — but is approaching 60, when they wish to retire.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
"I do not wish that on even my enemies. It was like we just came back from hellfire."
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
‘I’ve been trying to remember exactly what Saeunn does. She’s always trying to teach me Magecraft, and I’m always going hunting instead. I wish I’d listened.’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
“Dance to the Piper” recounts the struggles of a young woman entering the entertainment industry against the wishes of her family, who were well-established in Hollywood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Daniels’ attorney Adam Kenner sent a letter expressing his wishes to LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry on Aug. 5, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Also, if the Bank of Japan wishes to strengthen the yen by encouraging the repatriation of Japanese capital, this could trigger huge and highly disruptive capital outflows.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
And at a time when the US president still wishes to control the vast Arctic island, the prospect of a US energy company potentially carrying out exploration activities is making people uneasy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
They said they wished for him to be remembered "for the wonderful person he was and all that he achieved".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
None of the employees contacted by AFP wished to comment on the site's future.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Ms. Rabe strikes notes of piteousness, pride and, movingly, steadfast love, when she says: “Adieu, my lord. I never wished to see you sorry; now I trust I shall.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
I kind of wished for him that he could have put the actual words in there with energy that was more of a conversation that we could have had.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
He wished he’d taken the time to braid his hair, though, rather than putting it up.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Burnham said: "I would like to bring down the cost of doing businesses. I want to make high streets more vibrant across the country. I know that cannot be done by simply wishing it."
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
When I say I wish someone had spoken to me at 15, I am not wishing someone had told me I looked sick.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
But sometimes, remodeling leaves homeowners with a sour taste in their mouth and wishing they’d skipped the project entirely.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
He sets so many plots in motion that you can’t help wishing he might forget about one or two of them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
I touch my head instinctively, wishing I had my earmuffs on like an invisibility cloak.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
Vocabulary lists containing wish
