Meaning & use
wished
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“wished” is a form of “wish”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Past tense of 'wish': wanted something to be different from how it really is.
Grammar: Used with 'that' or alone to introduce a situation you would like to change: She wished she lived nearer.
Patterns
- wished (that) someone did something
- wished (that) someone had done something
- wished for something
- wished someone something
He wished he had studied harder before the exam.
She wished the rain would stop so they could go out.
They wished each other good luck before the race.
verbtransitive
Past tense of 'wish': said politely that you want someone to have something good.
Grammar: Often takes two objects, a person and a thing: I wished her a happy birthday.
Patterns
- wished someone something
- wished someone a happy birthday
We wished our teacher a happy retirement.
He wished me well as I left for the airport.
The whole team wished her a quick recovery.
verbintransitive
Past tense of 'wish': wanted or asked for something silently or formally.
Grammar: No object here; it often comes before 'for': She wished for a second chance.
Patterns
- wished for something
- wished for someone to do something
As the clock struck twelve, she wished for good health.
He wished for a quiet weekend after a busy month.
They wished for better weather on the day of the picnic.
Word forms
| base form | wish |
|---|---|
| third person singular | wishes |
| present participle | wishing |
| past tense | wished |
| past participle | wished |
Common combinations
- wished for
- The children wished for snow on Christmas morning.
- wished someone luck
- I wished him luck before his job interview.
- wished it were true
- She wished it were true, but the story was invented.
- wished away
- He wished away the whole afternoon instead of working.
- wished aloud
- She wished aloud that the meeting would end early.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hoped
- Use 'hoped' when you think something good may really happen; 'wished' often suggests it is unlikely or impossible.
- longed
- 'Longed' is stronger and more emotional, showing a deep desire over time.
- wanted
- 'Wanted' is plainer and more neutral; it does not suggest that the situation is unreal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: wished or washed?
wished vs washed
'Washed' is the past of 'wash' and sounds almost the same; check the vowel sound and the meaning of cleaning with water.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'wished' correctly.
Choose one answer.
After 'wished' about an unreal present situation, English uses a past-tense verb: 'I wished I had more free time.' The present forms 'have', 'will have' and 'am having' do not fit because the situation is imaginary, not real.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wished”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.