WISH

wish

(noun) the particular preference that you have; “it was his last wish”; “they should respect the wishes of the people”

regard, wish, compliments

(noun) (usually plural) a polite expression of desire for someone’s welfare; “give him my kind regards”; “my best wishes”

wish, indirect request

(noun) an expression of some desire or inclination; “I could tell that it was his wish that the guests leave”; “his crying was an indirect request for attention”

wish, wishing, want

(noun) a specific feeling of desire; “he got his wish”; “he was above all wishing and desire”

wish, bid

(verb) invoke upon; “wish you a nice evening”; “bid farewell”

wish

(verb) order politely; express a wish for

wish

(verb) make or express a wish; “I wish that Christmas were over”

wish

(verb) hope for; have a wish; “I wish I could go home now”

wish, wish well

(verb) feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune of

wish, care, like

(verb) prefer or wish to do something; “Do you care to try this dish?”; “Would you like to come along to the movies?”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

wish (plural wishes)

A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.

An expression of such a desire, often connected with ideas of magic and supernatural power.

The thing desired or longed for.

(Sussex) A water meadow.

Usage notes

• Collocates with make for the common expression make a wish. See Collocations of do, have, make, and take

Verb

wish (third-person singular simple present wishes, present participle wishing, simple past and past participle wished)

(transitive) To desire; to want.

(transitive, now, rare) To hope (+ object clause with may or in present subjunctive).

(intransitive, followed by for) To hope (for a particular outcome).

(ditransitive) To bestow (a thought or gesture) towards (someone or something).

(intransitive, followed by to and an infinitive) To request or desire to do an activity.

(transitive) To recommend; to seek confidence or favour on behalf of.

Usage notes

• In sense 4, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See English catenative verbs

Proper noun

Wish

A surname.

Source: Wiktionary

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Wish, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wished; p. pr. & vb. n. Wishing.] Etym: [OE. wischen, weschen, wuschen, AS. w; akin to D. wenschen, G. wünschen, Icel. æeskja, Dan. önske, Sw. önska; from AS. w a wish; akin to OD. & G. wunsch, OHG. wunsc, Icel. , Skr. va a wish, va to wish; also to Skr. van to like, to wish. Winsome, Win, v. t., and cf. Wistful.]

1. To have a desire or yearning; to long; to hanker. They cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. Acts xxvii. 29. This is as good an argument as an antiquary could wish for. Arbuthnot.

Wish, v. t.

1. To desire; to long for; to hanker after; to have a mind or disposition toward. I would not wish Any companion in the world but you. Shak. I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper. 3. John 2.

2. To frame or express desires concerning; to invoke in favor of, or against, any one; to attribute, or cal down, in desire; to invoke; to imprecate. I would not wish them to a fairer death. Shak. I wish it may not prove some ominous foretoken of misfortune to have met with such a miser as I am. Sir P. Sidney. Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil. Ps. xl. 14.

3. To recommend; to seek confidence or favor in behalf of. [Obs.] Shak. I would be glad to thrive, sir, And I was wished to your worship by a gentleman. B. Jonson.

Syn.

– See Desire.

Wish, n.

1. Desire; eager desire; longing. Behold, I am according to thy wish in God a stead. Job xxxiii. 6.

2. Expression of desire; request; petition; hence, invocation or imprecation. Blistered be thy tongue for such a wish. Shak.

3. A thing desired; an object of desire. Will he, wise, let loose at once his ire . . . To give his enemies their wish! Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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