wished; wishing; wishes
1
: to have a desire for (something, such as something unattainable)
wished he could live his life over
2
: to give expression to as a wish : bid
wish them good night
3
a
: to give form to (a wish)
b
: to express a wish for
c
: to request in the form of a wish : order
d
: to desire (a person or thing) to be as specified
cannot wish our problems away
4
: to confer (something unwanted) on someone : foist
1
: to have a desire : want
wishing for more
2
: to make a wish
wish on a falling star
wisher
noun
Examples of wish in a Sentence
Verb
You may use the telephone, if you wish.
She wished them a happy New Year.
We wish you a Merry Christmas.
Noun
He has a wish to be reunited with his son.
The genie will grant you three wishes.
Send her my good wishes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
However, Irena only allows Oliver and Alice's daughter, Amy (Ann Carter), to see her when the Reeds' lonely child wishes for a friend.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2025
Having documented much of her daughter’s health battle on social media, Atkinson shared the footage of her tear-jerking wish on TikTok (@kayatkin).
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wish
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Verb
Following Voigt’s resignation, the Miss USA organization thanked Voigt for her time in the role and wished her well in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
However, Irena only allows Oliver and Alice's daughter, Amy (Ann Carter), to see her when the Reeds' lonely child wishes for a friend.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
Jon expresses his deep concern for Bruce, his wish for what the road trip will be.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2025
Having documented much of her daughter’s health battle on social media, Atkinson shared the footage of her tear-jerking wish on TikTok (@kayatkin).
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wish
Cite this Entry
“Wish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wish. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wish
2 of 2 noun1
a
: an act or instance of wishing or desire
a wish to travel
b
: an object of desire : goal
I got my wish—a good score on the test
2
: a wishing of good fortune
sends her best wishes
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