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.
Inde Navarrette has earned particular plaudits for her role as a young woman who becomes dangerously infatuated with a man, played by Michael Johnston, after he makes a magical wish for her affection.
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
Aesthetics aside, I wish the charging port was not hidden in the left-side cove.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
It means facing the facts as they are, not as we wish them to be.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
“We encourage all organizations that wish to solicit charitable donations within the City of Los Angeles to complete an info card and seek compliance.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
“I wish she had been able to never think of it again.”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Vocabulary lists containing wish
