From Middle English wisshen, wischen, wüschen, from Old English wȳsċan, from Proto-West Germanic *wunskijan, from Proto-Germanic *wunskijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁-.

Cognate with Scots wis, Saterland Frisian wonskje, Western Frisian winskje, Dutch wensen, German wünschen, Danish ønske, Icelandic æskja, óska ("to wish"), Latin Venus, veneror ("venerate, honour, love").

• enPR: wĭsh, IPA: /wɪʃ/

wish (plural wishes)

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

   have a wish

   make someone's wish come true

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

   make a wish

3. The thing desired or longed for.

   My dearest wish is to see them happily married.

   You have my best wishes.

   • 1901, W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw:

     "I suppose all old soldiers are the same," said Mrs White. "The idea of our listening to such nonsense! How could wishes be granted in these days? And if they could, how could two hundred pounds hurt you, father?" / "Might drop on his head from the sky," said the frivolous Herbert.

4. (Sussex) A water meadow.

• French: souhait
• German: Wunsch
• Italian: desiderio, voglia
• Portuguese: desejo, pedido
• Russian: жела́ние
• Spanish: deseo, gana

wish (wishes, present participle wishing; simple past and past participle wished)

1. (transitive) To desire; to want.

   I'll come tomorrow, if you wish it.

   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene i]:

     I would not wish / Any companion in the world but you.

   • 1716, Jonathan Swift, Phyllis, or the Progress of Love:

     Now John the butler must be sent
     To learn the road that Phyllis went:
     The groom was wished to saddle Crop;
     For John must neither light nor stop,
     But find her, wheresoe'er she fled,
     And bring her back alive or dead.

2. (transitive, now, rare) To hope (+ object clause with may or in present subjunctive).
   • 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LXXXIV”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson;  […], →OCLC ↗:

     I wish he mean me well, that he takes so much pains!

   • 1808, Jane Austen, letter, 1 October:

     She hears that Miss Bigg is to be married in a fortnight. I wish it may be so.

3. (intransitive, followed by for) To hope (for a particular outcome), even if that outcome is unlikely to occur or cannot occur.
   • 1727, John Arbuthnot, Tables of Ancient Coins, Weights and Measures:

     This is as good an argument as an antiquary could wish for.

   • 1901, W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw:

     Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously. "I don't know what to wish for, and that's a fact," he said slowly. "It seems to me I've got all I want."

   I wish I could go back in time and teach myself what I know now.

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

   We wish you a Merry Christmas.

   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act V, scene viii]:

     I would not wish them to a fairer death.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Psalms 40:14 ↗:

     Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil.

5. (intransitive, followed by to and an infinitive) To request or desire to do an activity.
6. (transitive) To recommend; to seek confidence or favour on behalf of.
   • 1610 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Alchemist, London: […] Thomas Snodham, for Walter Burre, and are to be sold by Iohn Stepneth, […], published 1612, →OCLC ↗; reprinted Menston, Yorkshire: The Scolar Press, 1970, →OCLC ↗, (please specify the GB page), (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals) ↗:

     I was wished to your worship by a gentleman.

   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene i]:

     Farewell: yet for the loue I beare my sweet Bianca, if I can by any meanes light on a fit man to teach her that wherein she delights, I will wish him to her father.

• French: souhaiter, espérer
• German: wünschen
• Italian: volere, desiderare
• Portuguese: desejar
• Russian: жела́ть
• Spanish: desear

• French: souhaiter
• German: wünschen
• Italian: augurare
• Portuguese: desejar a
• Spanish: desear

1. Surname.
   • 1902, H. G. Wells, The Story of the Inexperienced Ghost:

     There was Evans, and that marvel among actors, Wish, who is also a modest man. We had all come down to the Mermaid Club that Saturday morning, except Clayton, who had slept there overnight […]