wish

The word “wish” means a hope or desire for something, especially something not fully within your control. In plain terms, hoping for something, or telling someone you hope something good happens to them.

“Wish” is pronounced WIHSH (/ˈwɪʃ/ in IPA).

Here is “wish” used in a sentence: “She made a wish before blowing out the candles.”

Depending on how it is used, “wish” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “wish” comes from Old English. From Old English wyscan, going back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to wish" that also produced the German wünschen and Dutch wensen.

“Wish” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Wish” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a hope or desire for something, especially something not fully within your control.

Both express wanting something you don't yet have. A wish often reaches for something unlikely or beyond your control — sometimes even impossible, like 'I wish I could fly.' A hope tends to be more realistic and forward-looking, something you believe could genuinely happen. Wishes lean dreamy; hopes lean expectant.

A desire is a strong wanting, usually for something you can chase or act on. A wish is gentler and more wistful, often aimed at things outside your power — luck, the past, or fortune. Put simply, you pursue a desire, but you make a wish and hope it comes true.

A wish can come true, but by its nature it leans on chance, other people, or forces beyond your control rather than effort alone. That built-in uncertainty is what separates a wish from a plan. We pair wishes with candles, coins, and shooting stars precisely because the outcome isn't guaranteed.

Blowing out birthday candles while silently hoping for something is the classic example. Others include 'I wish it would stop raining' or 'I wish you well.' Each expresses a hope for an outcome the speaker can't directly control — the defining feature that makes it a wish rather than a plan.