What does “wish” mean?
- 1
verbto want something that is not true or not likely to happen
I wish I had more free time.
- 2
verbto hope that someone has something good
We wish you a happy birthday.
- 3
nouna desire or hope for something
Close your eyes and make a wish.
Wish at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb & noun
- CEFR level
- A2 (elementary)
- Pronunciation
- /wɪʃ/ · WISH
- Forms
- wishes
How to use “wish” correctly
After “I wish”, use a past form for the present: “I wish I knew”, not “I wish I know”.
Common phrases with “wish”
- make a wish
- best wishes
- wish sb luck
- I wish I could
Synonyms, opposites and related words
“wish” is on these word lists
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