means To want or long for something, especially something that feels just out of reach, and to express that longing as if hoping it might come true.

from From Old English 'wȳscan,' to wish or desire, rooted in a Proto-Germanic word for longing (a cousin of German 'wünschen'). It traces back further to a Proto-Indo-European root '*wen-,' meaning to strive for or desire — the same ancient root that quietly sits inside 'win' and 'Venus.' So at its core, to wish has always been about wanting hard enough to almost reach.