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Synonyms:wish
Definition: the particular preference that you have
Usage:it was his last wish; they should respect the wishes of the people
Similar words:druthers, preference
Definition: the right or chance to choose
Usage:given my druthers, I'd eat cake
Synonyms:wish, compliments, regard
Definition: (usually plural) a polite expression of desire for someone's welfare
Usage:give him my kind regards; my best wishes
Similar words:salutation, greeting
Definition: (usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)
Synonyms:wish, indirect request
Definition: an expression of some desire or inclination
Usage:I could tell that it was his wish that the guests leave; his crying was an indirect request for attention
Similar words:asking, request
Definition: the verbal act of requesting
Synonyms:wish, wishing, want
Definition: a specific feeling of desire
Usage:he got his wish; he was above all wishing and desire
Similar words:desire
Definition: the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
Synonyms:bid, wish
Definition: invoke upon
Usage:wish you a nice evening; bid farewell
Synonyms:wish
Definition: order politely; express a wish for
Similar words:order
Definition: make a request for something
Usage:Order me some flowers; order a work stoppage
Synonyms:wish
Definition: make or express a wish
Usage:I wish that Christmas were over
Synonyms:wish
Definition: hope for; have a wish
Usage:I wish I could go home now
Similar words:desire, want
Definition: feel or have a desire for; want strongly
Usage:I want to go home now; I want my own room
Synonyms:wish, wish well
Definition: feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune of
Similar words:desire, want
Definition: feel or have a desire for; want strongly
Usage:I want to go home now; I want my own room
Synonyms:wish, like, care
Definition: prefer or wish to do something
Usage:Do you care to try this dish?; Would you like to come along to the movies?
Similar words:desire, want
Definition: feel or have a desire for; want strongly
Usage:I want to go home now; I want my own room
Search synonyms for word wish at EnglishThesaurus.net. Usage: give him my kind regards; my best wishes. Similar words: salutation, greeting. Definition.
wiseass, wisecrack, wiseman, wisenheimer, wisent, wish, wish fulfillment, wish fulfilment, wish list, wish on, wish-wash
before 900; (v.) Middle Englishwisshen,Old Englishwȳscan; cognate with Germanwünschen,Old Norseæskja; akin to Old Englishwynn joy (see winsome), Latinvenus charm (see Venus); (noun) Middle English, derivative of the v.
1. Wish,desire,want indicate a longing for something. To wish is to feel an impulse toward attainment or possession of something; the strength of the feeling may be of greater or lesser intensity: I wish I could go home.Desire, a more formal word, suggests a strong wish: They desire a new regime.Want, usually colloquial in use, suggests a feeling of lack or need that imperatively demands fulfillment: People all over the world want peace.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Nancy, on the other hand, was incapable of communicating her wishes.
U.K. Courts Grant Mother Right to End Her 12-Year-Old Disabled Daughter’s Life|Elizabeth Picciuto|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Diane and Alicia keep make decisions either without him or that directly go against his wishes.
The Good Wife’s Secret Weapon: Matt Czuchry on Cary Agos’s Terrible, Horrible Year|Kevin Fallon|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His violent, angry raps are the words he wishes he could say to people he wishes would listen.
An ISIS Killer in His Own Awful Words|Miranda Frum|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She wishes to have her parents meet her at the hospital at the same time, hoping that will reunite them.
‘Wetlands,’ About A Bodily Fluid-Obsessed German Teen, Is the Year's Raunchiest Film|Marlow Stern|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A must read for anyone who wishes to understand the zeitgeist of those early days.
Vets Pick the Best Books About Iraq|The Daily Beast|July 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sir Godfrey, too much commanding of slaves to your wishes has rendered you absurd of speech.
Crown and Sceptre|George Manville Fenn
Wishes were spaniels; he had but a finger to raise, and they fawned at his feet.
The Pace That Kills|Edgar Saltus
In short, her own wishes should operate very strongly against these regrets.
Extracts from the Diary and Correspondence of the Late Amos Lawrence; with a brief account of some incidents of his life|Amos Lawrence
So after dinner Tante took entire possession of Katharine, but much against the botanists' wishes.
Katharine Frensham|Beatrice Harraden
He had grown older, maturer, and wiser, and knew how to make men amenable to his wishes.
History of the Jews, Vol. V (of 6)|Heinrich Graetz
(when tr, takes a clause as object or an infinitive; when intr, often foll by for) to want or desire (something, often that which cannot be or is not the case)I wish I lived in Italy; to wish for peace
(tr)to feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune ofI wish you well
(tr)to desire or prefer to be as specified
(tr)to greet as specified; bidhe wished us good afternoon
(tr)formalto order politelyI wish you to come at three o'clock
the act of wishing; the expression of some desire or mental inclinationto make a wish
something desired or wished forhe got his wish
(usually plural)expressed hopes or desire, esp for someone's welfare, health, etc
(often plural)formala polite order or request
See also wish on
Old English wӯscan; related to Old Norse öskja, German wünschen, Dutch wenschen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
In addition to the idiom beginning with wish
also see:
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
to want; desire; long for (usually followed by an infinitive or a clause): I wish to travel. I wish that it were morning.
to desire (a person or thing) to be (as specified): to wish the problem settled.
to entertain wishes, favorably or otherwise, for: to wish someone well; to wish someone ill.
to bid, as in greeting or leave-taking: to wish someone a good morning.
to request or charge: I wish him to come.
to desire; long; yearn (often followed by for): Mother says I may go if I wish. I wished for a book.
to make a wish: She wished more than she worked.
an act or instance of wishing.
a request or command: I was never forgiven for disregarding my father's wishes.
an expression of a wish, often one of a kindly or courteous nature: to send one's best wishes.
something wished or desired: He got his wish—a new car.
longing, intention, aspiration, prayer, request, choice, will, yearning, preference, ambition, hope, inclination, envy, prefer, please, crave, yearn, choose, want, aspire
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbest/good/warmest etc wishesbest/good/warmest etc wishesused, especially in cards and letters, to say that you hope someone will be happy, successful, or healthybest/good/warmest etc wishes forBest wishes for a long and happy retirement!She asked me to pass on her good wishes to all her friends and colleagues.(With) best wishes (=used at the end of a letter before you sign your name)With best wishes, Celia. →wishExamples from the Corpusbest/good/warmest etc wishes• Meanwhile, may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the coming year.• Spare me your shock and good wishes.• And while babies are on my mind, my best wishes to Patsy Kensit on the birth of her son.• My best wishes to Madame Zborowska and warmgreetings to you.• Our best wishes to his family and friends.• She hadn't deserved their kindness, their good wishes - she'd hardly been a booncompanion of late.• A formerminer, Joe was presented with a cheque together with good wishes for a long and happy retirement.• With best wishes for success and prosperity.
best/good/warmest etc wishes meaning, definition, what is best/good/warmest etc wishes: used, especially in cards and letters, t: Learn more.
You can say:
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best wishes meaning: a polite way of finishing a letter to a person who you know quite well. Learn more.
