best wishes

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Kind hopes for someone's happiness or success, said or written on special occasions such as birthdays, weddings or new jobs.

   Grammar: Always plural: send my best wishes, not a best wish.

   Patterns

   • best wishes for something
   • best wishes to someone
   • send someone best wishes

   Please send my best wishes to your parents.

   We sent them our best wishes for the new baby.

   Everyone at the office sent best wishes for her recovery.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   A friendly closing phrase used before your name at the end of a letter, email or card.

   Grammar: Stands alone before the signature: Best wishes, Anna.

   Patterns

   • Best wishes, name

   She ended her email with best wishes and her first name.

   The card said, Best wishes for the holidays, from all of us.

   Best wishes, Marcus, was how he signed every note.

Common combinations

send best wishes

Could you send my best wishes to your sister?

with best wishes

She signed the card with best wishes for the future.

best wishes for

We offer best wishes for a speedy recovery.

warmest best wishes

Warmest best wishes to you both on your wedding day.

best wishes to

Best wishes to everyone joining the team.

Synonyms and how they differ

kind regards

Kind regards is slightly more formal and everyday in business, while best wishes feels a bit warmer and suits special occasions.

good wishes

Good wishes is a plainer expression of hope, and works less often as a sign-off.

all the best

All the best is more casual and spoken, whereas best wishes is common in writing.

congratulations

Congratulations responds to news of achievement, while best wishes looks ahead to future happiness.

Word family

wish noun

a hope for something

wish verb

to hope that something will happen to someone

well-wisher noun

a person who sends kind hopes

wishful adjective

hoping for something that may not happen

Commonly confused: best wishes or best regards?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “best wishes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words