Wishfulness - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
Wishfulness is the state of having hopeful desires or dreams, often unrealistic or unlikely to happen. It reflects a longing for something that may not be attainable.
Definition:
A hopeful or unrealistic desire for something unlikely to happen.
Synonyms:
longing, yearning, hopefulness, desire
Part of Speech:
noun
Antonyms:
realism, indifference
Common Collocations:
wishful thinking, air of wishfulness, tinged with wishfulness
Derivatives:
wishful, wishfully
Usage Tips:
Use "wishfulness" to describe an impractical hope, often with a tone of gentle longing or naivety.
Common Phrases:
full of wishfulness, pure wishfulness, wistful wishfulness
Etymology:
Derived from "wishful," combining "wish" (Old English *wȳscan*) and the suffix "-ness" indicating a state or quality.
Examples:
- 1. Her wishfulness made her believe in fairy tales forever.
- 2. His speech was filled with nostalgic wishfulness for simpler times.
- 3. She sighed with quiet wishfulness as she watched the sunset alone.
- 4. The poem captures the tender wishfulness of unfulfilled dreams.