wish
wish Lexical Profile
wish Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A strong feeling of wanting something to happen or be true, especially something that cannot easily be achieved.
"Her lifelong wish was to travel around the world and experience different cultures."
An invocation or expression of hope for someone's well-being, success, or good fortune (often used in the plural).
"Please send our warmest wishes to your family for the upcoming holiday season."
An expressed request, preference, or instruction regarding how something should be done.
"The estate was divided among the grandchildren in strict accordance with her final wishes."
• verb
To feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable or that is contrary to present reality.
"I often wish that I had spent more time learning a second language in school."
To want or intend to do something, or to politely demand or request that something be done (used in formal contexts).
"Please inform the receptionist if you wish to schedule a follow-up appointment."
To express a hope that someone will experience happiness, success, or good fortune.
"All of her colleagues gathered in the conference room to wish her well in her retirement."
Word Nuance & Usage
Unlike 'hope', which refers to a desire for something possible or likely, 'wish' followed by a past-tense or subjunctive clause typically expresses a desire for something impossible, unlikely, or contrary to present fact (e.g., 'I wish I were taller').
• Rhymes for wish
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'wyscan' (verb) and 'wusc' (noun), of Proto-Germanic origin and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root '*wen-' meaning 'to strive after, desire, or love' (also the source of Latin 'Venus' and English 'win').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.