Wish: meaning, definitions and examples

Used for expressing a desire for something to happen, often in a polite, hopeful, or formal context.

• I wish you a happy birthday
• I wish I could travel the world

Used for expressing a strong feeling of wanting something or someone, often with an implication of long-term or deep yearning.

• He has a desire to succeed in his career
• She desires a life filled with love and happiness

Used when expressing a wish for something to happen, generally with a positive and optimistic connotation.

• I hope we win the game
• She hopes to get into her dream college

Used when expressing a strong, often emotional, desire for something that feels out of reach or that has been absent for a long time.

• After years abroad, he longs for home
• She longs for the days of her childhood

Used when referring to a strong, often physical, desire for something, particularly food or certain experiences.

• I crave chocolate cake
• She craves adventure and new experiences

Used when expressing a deep emotional desire, often with a sense of sadness or pain attached to it.

• He yearns for the love he lost
• She yearns to be free from her troubles

Used for expressing a want or hope for something that may be unlikely or impossible.

• I wish I could fly.
• She made a wish when she saw a shooting star.

Used for a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen.

• He has a strong desire to learn new languages.
• Her desire for adventure led her to travel the world.

Used when expressing a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.

• I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.
• She has high hopes of winning the competition.

Used to describe a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep, or a cherished ideal, goal, or aspiration that one might hope to achieve.

• I had a strange dream last night.
• Her dream is to open her own bakery.

Used to describe a hope or ambition of achieving something great or significant in the long term.

• His aspiration to write a novel took years of dedication.
• She has aspirations of becoming a leader in her field.

Used when talking about a strong desire to achieve something, typically requiring hard work and determination.

• Her ambition is to become a doctor.
• He has the ambition to climb the highest mountains.