wishful thinking

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

wishful thinking

Thinking in which what one wishes were the case is believed to be real or likely to become real.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

wishful thinking

the erroneous belief that one's wishes are in accordance with reality

wishful thinker n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

wish′ful think′ing

interpretation of facts, actions, words, etc., as one would like them to be rather than as they really are.

[1925–30]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun

wishful thinking - the illusion that what you wish for is actually true

fancy, phantasy, illusion, fantasy - something many people believe that is false; "they have the illusion that I am very wealthy"

Translations

ønsketænkning

תקוות שווא

wensdenken

zbožné želanie

önsketänkande

boş ümitolmayacak arzu

如意算盘痴心妄想

wish

(wiʃ) verb

1. to have and/or express a desire. There's no point in wishing for a miracle; Touch the magic stone and wish; He wished that she would go away; I wish that I had never met him.

2. to require (to do or have something). Do you wish to sit down, sir?; We wish to book some seats for the theatre; I'll cancel the arrangement if you wish.

3. to say that one hopes for (something for someone). I wish you the very best of luck.

noun

1. a desire or longing, or the thing desired. It's always been my wish to go to South America some day.

2. an expression of desire. The fairy granted him three wishes; Did you make a wish?

3. (usually in plural) an expression of hope for success etc for someone. He sends you his best wishes.

wishful ˈthinking noun

expectations based on what one hopes will happen, not on what is likely to happen.

ˈwishing-well noun

a well which is supposed to have the power of granting any wish made when one is beside it.

wishful thinking

n (el) creer que algo es verdadero porque se desea intensamente

Mentioned in ?

References in periodicals archive ?

Therefore, the failure of financial self-interest to reduce wishful thinking could be argued to have no validity beyond sports.

Wishful thinking among voters: motivational and cognitive influences

"Do you suppose," asked a correspondent who has been around since the 60S, "that talk about the Coming Crash is just wishful thinking?"

Is 'the crash' wishful thinking?

They also represent a serious case of wishful thinking. We found that restaurants often serve from two to three times more than food labels I,ist as a serving.

One size doesn't fit all

To rely on production people--who think in terms of production problems--for coming up with sound market planning is wishful thinking.

Acquiring a marketing focus

To interpret this narrow ruling as a new theory of liability limitation for accountants is wishful thinking. If CPAs conduct audits with less concern about triple-damage liability in civil fraud cases, they are being foolhardy.

RICO: has the "ultimate weapon" been crushed?

But after many years of waiting for such data to appear, is it perhaps just more wishful thinking to hope that it will bring some revelatory clarity?

Should Medical Care be Rationed by Age?

'That's wishful thinking coming from a tired, old, failed, revolutionary [leader],' Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

US coup vs Duterte? Palace says it's Sison's 'wishful thinking'

Any attempt to oust House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez is just "wishful thinking" as President Duterte remains supportive of his leadership, Malacanang said Tuesday.

Any attempt to oust Alvarez is just 'wishful thinking' -- Palace

Moreover, the action of the Palestinian authorities also suggests that arena of international relations and politics does not provide any space to wishful thinking despite the fact that the rally of JuD was organized to show solidarity with the Palestinians.

Palestinian Envoy Recalled

Spirited and wishful thinking BARBARA Dunn (Talkback, February 9) thinks heaven is a spiritual realm.

Spirited and wishful thinking BARBARA [...]

All the wishful thinking in the world won't make studies on a mouse or dog relevant to humans.

Animal testing not relevant to humans; FEEDBACK

Go West, aka Peter Cox and Richard Drummie, will be performing hits like We Close Our Eyes, Call Me and King of Wishful Thinking.