want, wish

want, wish
These words share a meaning of "to long for," "to crave," "to desire": "Don't you want (wish) to go to the game?" "She wishes (wants) to sleep now." Want also expresses the idea of a lack or need: "He wants (desires) a job, but he wants (lacks) experience." Wish is the word to use when expressing an impulse or hope: "I wish you were my friend." Want (in the sense of need) rather than wish (in the sense of desire) should be used in a polite query such as "Do you want some more food?" "Want for" is a correct expression only when the idea to be expressed is "to have need": "We did not want for money on our trip." Want should not be accompanied by for when wish or desire is involved; "I want (not want for) you to stay." The constructions "want out" and "want in" are often heard but are informal. It is preferable to say "The dog wants to get out (or wants to get in)" rather than the elliptical "wants out" or "wants in."

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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  • wish on — [phrasal verb] wish (someone or something) on (someone) : to want (someone) to have or be affected by (someone or something bad or unpleasant) I wouldn t wish that terrible illness on anyone. [=I wouldn t want anyone to have that terrible… …   Useful english dictionary

  • want — [n1] desire appetite, craving, demand, fancy, hankering, hunger, longing, necessity, need, requirement, thirst, wish, yearning, yen; concept 20 Ant. disinterest, dislike, hate want [n2] lack, need absence, dearth, default, defect, deficiency,… …   New thesaurus

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  • wish — [wish] vt. [ME wisshen < OE wyscan, akin to Ger wünschen < IE base * wen , to strive (for), desire > WIN, L Venus] 1. to have a longing for; want; desire; crave 2. to have or express a desire concerning [to wish the day were over] 3. to… …   English World dictionary

  • wish — [n] desire ambition, aspiration, choice, disposition, hankering, hope, hunger, inclination, intention, invocation, itch, liking, longing, pleasure, prayer, preference, request, thirst, urge, want, whim, will, yearning, yen; concepts 20,709 Ant.… …   New thesaurus

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