The Top 10 Most Common Informal Expressions with ‘Wish’

 

Categories: A2/B1 B1/B2 B2/C1 C1+ Grammar Review TOEFL TOEIC

 
Wish expressions
 

These expressions are very often used in real-life English – knowing them will make your English flow naturally! So here you go!

 

 

1) to make a wish

= to try to make something happen by thinking about it

He blew out the candles on his cake and made a wish.

 

2) I wish! / You wish!

= You say this to show that something is (almost) impossible even if you’d like it to be possible.

You’ll save up enough money to buy a house soon. I wish!

 

3) wishful thinking

= the idea that something will happen although it is not true and not really possible

I think he likes me, but this could just be wishful thinking.

 

4) a wish list

= a list of all the things you’d like to have

I am writing a wish list for my birthday.

 

5) a wishing well

= a well (=a deep hole with water in it) or fountain that people drop coins into to make their wish come true

Do you have a dime? Here is a wishing well and I’d like to make a wish!

 

6) Your wish is my command!

= I’m ready to do whatever you say.

Would you like some more pancakes? Your wish is my command!

 

7) wish someone well

= to send good thoughts and wishes to someone

I wish you both well in this new chapter of your life.

 

8) wish something really hard

= to think that you want something very much

If you wish really hard, you may get what you want.

 

9) I wouldn’t wish something like that on my worst enemy!

= I wouldn’t want something bad/unpleasant like that to happen to anyone.

He was a terrible boss, he stressed me out every day while we worked together. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.

 

10) Be careful what you wish for! (You might just get it.)

= Your wish may come true, and you may realize that it’s not what you wanted!

Be careful what you wish for! Fame is not all that great. 

 

 

Related posts:

Wish Quiz – Talking about present and past wishes

 

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