What does wishing mean?
Wishing is the act of hoping for a particular outcome, especially something that cannot be controlled or obtained immediately. It can describe a private desire, as when someone keeps wishing for a clear sky, or a goodwill expression directed toward another person, as in wishing someone success. The word is also used in the familiar idea of making a wish, often associated with a wishing well, a birthday candle, or another symbolic occasion. In everyday English, wishing is usually gentler and more emotionally expressive than simply wanting something. It can imply that the speaker recognizes the outcome is uncertain but continues to hope for it. As a gerund or present participle, wishing also shows that an action of expressing a desire is ongoing. Wishing is related to the broader notions of hope, desire, and longing, and it frequently appears in expressions of encouragement and goodwill toward other people.
To express a hope or desire for something to happen, especially for a particular outcome or for someone's wellbeing.
"They are wishing for a swift resolution to the problem."
Wishing is normally used in the -ing form and can express either an ongoing personal hope or a goodwill wish directed toward someone else.
The act of expressing a hope or desire, or of hoping for a particular outcome.
"Her constant wishing for warmer weather was finally rewarded."
As a noun, wishing is generally uncountable in modern usage and is often abstract or emotional in tone.
The plural is rare and mainly occurs in literary or deliberately formal usage; wishing is normally uncountable.
"Her quiet wishings for a new beginning sustained her through the difficult months."
Wishing is older than the familiar wishing well: the word itself descends from Old English forms meaning to wish or desire.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wishing come from?
The word descends from Old English forms meaning to wish or desire, which belong to the Germanic family of languages. It has close cognates in German wünschen, Dutch wensen, and the Scandinavian word ósk. Modern wishing developed as the -ing form of wish and also came to name the act of making a wish.
Related word forms
How wishing is actually used
Wishing is common in both formal and informal English. It is often used in wishes for another person's success or wellbeing, as in wishing someone good luck; wishing also appears in expressions such as wishing for peace or better weather.
Easily confused with wishing
Wishing describes the ongoing act of expressing a desire, whereas wished is the past tense of wish.