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:
Bear’s wish essentially tortures poor Nikki, but he’s so self-interested he refuses to see her pain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
“They wish, in those early stages, if they had maybe just known a little earlier, they would be in better shape.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
"Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine," she said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
But a commemoration society in his name, who have lodged the application, has said it wants to "fulfil his wish" of being buried in County Antrim.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
“I was. And I wanted to come by and wish you luck, but once you opened your cello case, you didn’t need any encouragement. You were ready. And you were… brave.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
They said a parliamentary group on African repatriation had highlighted "ethical concerns" over the display of such remains due to the "constant disregard" of potential wishes and intentions of ancestors who buried them.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
An "impartial American media organization" would accompany Russian and Ukrainian teams to ensure residents' wishes were respected, she added, without naming the outlet.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
First, you aren’t wrong to abide by his wishes for a home and security for you.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
In deference to Fielder’s wishes, this is your last chance to turn back: Major spoilers follow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“With most gracious wishes for your continued recovery, Lady A.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
She also wished drivers would “stop being so aggressive to cyclists.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Dimon wished JPMorgan had invested alongside the Department of Defense, which helped spur the idea for the bank’s initiative.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
He said he wished to see "at least a carve out" for Ukraine to access the EU market.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
The girls had spent weeks adapting to the new rules and searching for acceptable alternatives to headscarves, said the teacher, who wished to remain anonymous.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Secretly, I’ve always wished for a name that teachers and baristas would be able to spell right on the first try.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Fields was inspired by listening to “Voodoo” at Shibuya and wishing that he could talk about it with the other attendees.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
To manufacturers wishing to replace these tools, "the Chinese say, 'you’re going to buy Chinese cutting tools,'" Dufourcq added.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
"We're wishing him a full and speedy recovery."
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
She refers to them as her “soul mates” and feels guilty wishing for a romantic partner when she already has three lifelong best friends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
She smiled and scratched each of them in turn, wishing she had more hands.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
Vocabulary lists containing wish
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