Wish vs. Want: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Wish implies a desire for something that might not be easily attainable or realistic; Want indicates a desire for something attainable or a need.
Key Differences
Wish often conveys a longing for something that is not immediately within reach or is unrealistic, like a dream or fantasy. It carries a sense of hope or aspiration, often without a concrete plan to achieve it. Want, on the other hand, typically refers to a desire for something more tangible and achievable, often accompanied by the intention or plan to obtain it.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
In usage, wish is frequently seen in contexts involving imagination or hypothetical situations. It is more reflective of an emotional desire or hope. Want is more pragmatic, expressing a need or desire for something real and often necessary, emphasizing a sense of urgency or necessity.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Grammatically, wish is often used in a subjunctive mood, indicating hypotheticals or desires contrary to reality, such as "I wish I were flying." Want is more straightforward, used in declarative sentences to express a need or desire, like "I want a coffee."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Emotionally, wish can carry a tone of longing or wistfulness, often associated with things out of one's control. Want is more direct and assertive, reflecting a clear desire or requirement that can be acted upon.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
In literature and speech, wish is used to add a poetic or imaginative flair, often in expressions of dreams or desires beyond one's grasp. Want is more common in everyday language, practical and grounded in reality.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Grammatical Mood
Subjunctive (contrary to fact)
Indicative (real situations)
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Nov 23, 2023
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Wish and Want Definitions
Wish
A desire or hope for something unattainable or difficult to obtain.
My greatest wish is to travel the world.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
Want
To have a strong feeling to have (something); wish (to possess or do something); desire greatly
She wants a glass of water. They want to leave.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To dream or hope for something, often knowing it's unlikely.
He wishes he could turn back time.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
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Want
To request the presence or assistance of
You are wanted by your office.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
A feeling that one would like to have or do something or to see something happen; a desire, longing, or strong inclination for a specific thing.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
An expression of a desire, longing, or strong inclination
Carried out the wishes included in the will.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
An expression of desire for the happiness or success of another
Sent me his best wishes.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
(Informal) To be obliged (to do something)
You want to be careful on the ice.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To be in need of; require
"'Your hair wants cutting,' said the Hatter" (Lewis Carroll).
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To feel or express a desire for
I wish them good luck. He wished her good night.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To order, entreat, or request
I wish you to go. I wish it to be known that I disagree.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
The condition or quality of lacking something usual or necessary
Stayed home for want of anything better to do.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To desire (something bad) to happen to someone
I would not wish such an illness on anyone.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.
Have a wish
Make someone's wish come true
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
(transitive) To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave or demand.
What do you want to eat?
I want you to leave.
Never wanted to go back to live with my mother.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
An expression of such a desire, often connected with ideas of magic and supernatural power.
Make a wish
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
(by extension) To make it easy or tempting to do something undesirable, or to make it hard or challenging to refrain from doing it.
The game developers of Candy Crush want you to waste large, copious amounts of your money on in-game purchases to buy boosters and lives.
Depression wants you to feel like the world is dark and that you are not worthy of happiness. The first step to making your life better from this day forward is to stop believing these lies.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
The thing desired or longed for.
My dearest wish is to see them happily married.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To wish, desire, or demand to see, have the presence of or do business with.
Ma’am, you are exactly the professional we want for this job.
Danish police want him for embezzlement.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
(intransitive) To desire (to experience desire); to wish.
You can leave if you want.
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Oct 19, 2023
Want
.
You’ll want to repeat this three or four times to get the best result.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To lack and be in need of or require (something, such as a noun or verbal noun).
That chair wants fixing.
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Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To hope (for a particular outcome), even if that outcome is unlikely to occur or cannot occur.
I wish I could go back in time and teach myself what I know now.
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Oct 19, 2023
Want
To have occasion for (something requisite or useful); to require or need.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
(ditransitive) To bestow (a thought or gesture) towards (someone or something).
We wish you a Merry Christmas.
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Oct 19, 2023
Want
To be lacking or deficient or absent.
There was something wanting in the play.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.
The paupers desperately want.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To lack and be without, to not have (something).
She wanted anything she needed.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To have a desire or yearning; to long; to hanker.
They cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
This is as good an argument as an antiquary could wish for.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To desire; to long for; to hanker after; to have a mind or disposition toward.
I would not wishAny companion in the world but you.
I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To frame or express desires concerning; to invoke in favor of, or against, any one; to attribute, or cal down, in desire; to invoke; to imprecate.
I would not wish them to a fairer death.
I wish it may not prove some ominous foretoken of misfortune to have met with such a miser as I am.
Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To recommend; to seek confidence or favor in behalf of.
I would be glad to thrive, sir,And I was wished to your worship by a gentleman.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
Desire; eager desire; longing.
Behold, I am according to thy wish in God a stead.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
Expression of desire; request; petition; hence, invocation or imprecation.
Blistered be thy tongue for such a wish.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
A thing desired; an object of desire.
Will he, wise, let loose at once his ire . . . To give his enemies their wish!
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Oct 19, 2023
Wish
A specific feeling of desire;
He got his wish
He was above all wishing and desire
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
The state of not having; the condition of being without anything; absence or scarcity of what is needed or desired; deficiency; lack; as, a want of power or knowledge for any purpose; want of food and clothing.
And me, his parent, would full soon devourFor want of other prey.
From having wishes in consequence of our wants, we often feel wants in consequence of our wishes.
Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and more saucy.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
An expression of some desire or inclination;
I could tell that it was his wish that the guests leave
His crying was an indirect request for attention
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
Specifically, absence or lack of necessaries; destitution; poverty; penury; indigence; need.
Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches, as to conceive how others can be in want.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
(usually plural) a polite expression of desire for someone's welfare;
Give him my kind regards
My best wishes
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
That which is needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt; what is not possessed, and is necessary for use or pleasure.
Habitual superfluities become actual wants.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
The particular preference that you have;
It was his last wish
They should respect the wishes of the people
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To be without; to be destitute of, or deficient in; not to have; to lack; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to want learning; to want food and clothing.
They that want honesty, want anything.
Nor think, though men were none,That heaven would want spectators, God want praise.
The unhappy never want enemies.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
Prefer or wish to do something;
Do you care to try this dish?
Would you like to come along to the movies?
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To have occasion for, as useful, proper, or requisite; to require; to need; as, in winter we want a fire; in summer we want cooling breezes.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To feel need of; to wish or long for; to desire; to crave.
I want to speak to you about something.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To be absent; to be deficient or lacking; to fail; not to be sufficient; to fall or come short; to lack; - often used impersonally with of; as, it wants ten minutes of four.
The disposition, the manners, and the thoughts are all before it; where any of those are wanting or imperfect, so much wants or is imperfect in the imitation of human life.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.
You have a gift, sir (thank your education),Will never let you want.
For as in bodies, thus in souls, we findWhat wants in blood and spirits, swelled with wind.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
The state of needing something that is absent or unavailable;
There is a serious lack of insight into the problem
Water is the critical deficiency in desert regions
For want of a nail the shoe was lost
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To express a desire for someone's happiness or well-being.
I wish you a happy birthday.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
Want
Anything that is necessary but lacking;
He had sufficient means to meet his simple needs
I tried to supply his wants
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Wish
To request or express a desire in a formal or ceremonial manner.
They wished for good fortune in their new home.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
Want
A specific feeling of desire;
He got his wish
He was above all wishing and desire
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
Feel or have a desire for; want strongly;
I want to go home now
I want my own room
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
Hunt or look for; want for a particular reason;
Your former neighbor is wanted by the FBI
Uncle Sam wants you
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
Be without, lack; be deficient in;
Want courtesy
Want the strength to go on living
Flood victims wanting food and shelter
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Want
To express a need or necessity for something.
You want to finish your homework on time.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
Want
A lack or deficiency of something necessary or desirable.
There is a want of clarity in the instructions.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
Want
To require something essential or very important.
Plants want sunlight to grow.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
Want
A desire for something not essential but desired.
His latest want is a high-tech gadget.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
What is a wish?
A desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Can 'wish' and 'want' be used interchangeably?
Not usually, as they imply different levels of realism and attainability.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
How is 'wish' used in literature?
It's often used to convey dreams, aspirations, and hypothetical scenarios.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
What does it mean to want something?
To have a desire or need for something attainable.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Is 'want' practical in nature?
Yes, 'want' typically refers to practical and attainable desires.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
What is an example of a 'want'?
Needing a basic necessity like food or water.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Can 'wish' be used in formal requests?
Yes, especially in expressions of goodwill, like "I wish you well."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Do children use 'wish' more than adults?
Yes, often in imaginative contexts.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Is 'wish' more emotional than 'want'?
Yes, 'wish' often carries more emotional or aspirational connotations.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Is 'want' a stronger feeling than 'wish'?
Not necessarily stronger, but more direct and actionable.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Is 'want' associated with necessity?
Often, it is used to express a strong need or requirement.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Are 'wishes' always impossible?
Not always, but they tend to be less realistic.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Does 'want' imply a plan to achieve?
Often, as it's about attainable desires.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Are there cultural differences in using 'wish' and 'want'?
Yes, cultural contexts can influence their use and interpretation.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Does 'want' have a negative connotation?
Not inherently, but it can in contexts of greed or excess.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
How do 'wish' and 'want' differ in mood?
'Wish' is often subjunctive, while 'want' is indicative.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
Is 'want' more urgent than 'wish'?
Typically, as it often conveys necessity.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
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Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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