wish (wishes plural & 3rd person present) (wishing present participle) (wished past tense & past participle )
1 n-count A wish is a desire or strong feeling that you want to have something or do something.
oft with poss
Clearly she had no wish for conversation..., She wanted to go everywhere in the world. She soon got her wish..., The decision was made against the wishes of the party leader.
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death wish
2 verb If you wishto do something or to have it done for you, you want to do it or have it done.
FORMAL If you wish to go away for the weekend, our office will be delighted to make hotel reservations... V to-inf
We can dress as we wish now... V
There were the collaborators, who wished for a German victory. V for n
3 verb If you wish something were true, you would like it to be true, even though you know that it is impossible or unlikely.
no cont
I wish I could do that... V that
The world is not always what we wish it to be. V n to-inf
4 verb If you wish for something, you express the desire for that thing silently to yourself. In fairy stories, when a person wishes for something, the thing they wish for often happens by magic.
We have all wished for men who are more considerate... V for n
Wish is also a noun., n-count
Blow out the candles and make a wish.
5 verb If you say that you would not wish a particular thing on someone, you mean that the thing is so unpleasant that you would not want them to be forced to experience it.
no cont, with brd-neg
It's a horrid experience and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. V n on n
6 verb If you wish someone something such as luck or happiness, you express the hope that they will be lucky or happy.
I wish you both a very good journey... V n n
Goodbye, Hanu. I wish you well. V n adv
7 n-plural If you express your good wishes towards someone, you are politely expressing your friendly feelings towards them and your hope that they will be successful or happy. adj N (politeness)
I found George's story very sad. Please give him my best wishes...
death wish , death-wish
A death wish is a conscious or unconscious desire to die or be killed. n-sing
wish list (wish lists plural )If you refer to someone's wish list, you mean all the things which they would like to happen or be given, although these things may be unlikely.
INFORMAL n-count oft with poss
...one special toy that tops the wish list of every child...
