wish 1 of 2

verb

ˈwish How to pronounce wish (audio)
Definition of wishnext
1
as in to impose
to offer (something fake, useless, or inferior) as genuine, useful, or valuable despite my protestations, the dreaded position of club secretary was wished on me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to please
to see fit you're free to sit wherever you wish

Synonyms & Similar Words

wish

2 of 2

noun

as in request

Related Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb wish differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of wish are covet, crave, desire, and want. While all these words mean "to have a longing for," wish sometimes implies a general or transient longing especially for the unattainable.

wishes for permanent world peace

When can covet be used instead of wish?

The meanings of covet and wish largely overlap; however, covet implies strong envious desire.

covets his rise to fame

In what contexts can crave take the place of wish?

While the synonyms crave and wish are close in meaning, crave stresses the force of physical appetite or emotional need.

craves sweets

When would desire be a good substitute for wish?

Although the words desire and wish have much in common, desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim.

desires to start a new life

Where would want be a reasonable alternative to wish?

The words want and wish can be used in similar contexts, but want specifically suggests a felt need or lack.

wants to have a family

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wish
Verb
The Call Her Daddy podcast host, 32, who recently welcomed a baby boy with her husband Matt Kaplan, took to her Instagram Stories to thank her followers for all the kind words and well wishes being sent to her family. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2026 The horror film follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a shy young man desperate to escape the friend zone, who uses a novelty item called the One Wish Willow to wish that his crush, Nikki, would love him more than anyone else in the world. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
Several days have gone by now, and those fans haven’t had their wish granted. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026 In the Odyssey, Penelope interprets a sneeze from her son, Telemachus, as a sign that her wish for Odysseus to return and punish her suitors would come true. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wish
  1. impose
  2. please
  3. request
  4. inflict
  5. want
  6. desire
  7. choose
  8. must
Verb
  • Voters in six states will soon decide whether to impose or expand voter identification requirements, including rules requiring mail voters to provide part of a driver’s license or Social Security number.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Russia imposed temporary export controls on helium in April to protect its domestic supply.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of impose
Verb
  • But all that warm, crowd-pleasing material is incongruously, fascinatingly, and not so comfortably fitted inside a story about great loss.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • And for options that can please any giftee on your list, check out gourmet food calendars filled with decadent chocolates, loose-leaf teas, jams and jellies, and more.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of please
Noun
  • The request, obtained by the Washington Examiner, came in a Wednesday letter from Mike Davis, founder and president of the Article III Project, a conservative legal advocacy group.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • It is held by an escrow agent, usually the title company or a broker, who is not permitted to hand it to either side on request.
    — Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of request
Verb
  • Vulnerabilities with the severity the advisories are describing have the potential to inflict major damage across the Internet.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • He is charged with battery causing bodily harm and kidnapping and inflicting bodily harm upon or terrorizing a victim.
    — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of inflict
Verb
  • Japanese flight controllers want to avoid powdery soil and rough terrain when the mothership, a four-legged stationary lander, descends to the surface to gather samples in late 2028 or 2029.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Florida Poly now wants to investigate what a piloted electric aircraft can offer.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of want
Noun
  • In order to be helpful, Muse constantly builds extensive dossiers of users and their desires, social relationships, and messaging behaviors, TIME’s Harry Booth reported this month.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This offbeat tendency doesn’t preclude a desire to make a big splash, of course.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of desire
Verb
  • Mississippians have not chosen a new Democratic senator since 1947, and Democrats last won a Senate race there when that senator, the onetime segregationist John Stennis, won his last reelection in 1982.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Swift’s fans were disappointed by the outcome of the game and how the Seahawks chose to celebrate on social media.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of choose
Noun
  • Tantísimo, a farm-to-table Latin American restaurant, shares a patio with the boarding house and is a must for dinner or Sunday brunch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
  • As always, installing updates in a timely manner is also a must.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of must

Phrases Containing wish

Browse Nearby Words

wisewomen
wish
wished
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Cite this Entry

“Wish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wish. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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