Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Nearby Entries
Wishing - 3 dictionary results
wish     (wĭsh)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
  1. A desire, longing, or strong inclination for a specific thing.
  2. An expression of a desire, longing, or strong inclination; a petition.
  3. Something desired or longed for.
v.   wished, wish·ing, wish·es

v.   tr.
  1. To long for; want. See Synonyms at desire.
  2. To entertain or express wishes for; bid: He wished her good night.
  3. To call or invoke upon: I wish them luck.
  4. To order or entreat: I wish you to go.
  5. To impose or force; foist: They wished a hard job on her.
v.   intr.
  1. To have or feel a desire: wish for the moon.
  2. To express a wish.

[Middle English wissh, from wisshen, to wish, from Old English wȳscan; see wen-1 in Indo-European roots.]
wish'er n.
Usage Note: Wish is widely used as a polite substitute for want with infinitives: Do you wish to sit at a table on the terrace? Anyone who wishes to may leave now. This usage is appropriate for formal style, where it is natural to treat the desires of others with exaggerated deference. The corresponding use of wish with a noun-phrase object is less frequent: Anyone who wishes an aisle seat should see an attendant. Both usages are likely to sound stilted in informal style, however, and want may be substituted for wish. · A traditional rule requires the use of were rather than was in a contrary-to-fact statement that follows wish: I wish I were (not was) lighter on my feet. While many people continue to insist on upholding this rule, the indicative was in such clauses can be found in the works of many well-known writers. See Usage Notes at if, want.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
wishing

noun
a specific feeling of desire; "he got his wish"; "he was above all wishing and desire" [syn: wish] 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Cite This Source

Wishing

Wish"ing\, a. & n. from Wish, v. t.

Wishing bone. See Wishbone.

Wishing cap, a cap fabled to give one whatever he wishes for when wearing it.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Share :Share This: digg.comShare This: www.stumbleupon.comShare This: del.icio.usShare This: FacebookShare This: favorites.live.comShare This: www.technorati.comShare This: furl.netShare This: www.myspace.comShare This: www.google.comShare This: myweb2.search.yahoo.comShare This: myjeeves.ask.com
Search another word or see Wishing on Thesaurus | Reference | Translate