Thought vs. Wish — What's the Difference?

Thought (or thinking) encompasses a flow of ideas and associations that can lead to logical conclusions. Although thinking is an activity of an existential value for humans, there is still no consensus as to how it is adequately defined or understood.

A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices.

Past tense and past participle of think.

Feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that cannot or probably will not happen

The process of thinking; cogitation

Want to do something

A product of thinking or other mental activity

Hope that (someone) has to deal with someone or something undesirable

The faculty of thinking or reasoning

A desire or hope for something to happen

The intellectual activity or production of a particular time or group

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.

Consideration; attention

An expression of a desire, longing, or strong inclination

Intention; purpose

An expression of desire for the happiness or success of another

Expectation or conception

Something desired or longed for

(countable) Representation created in the mind without the use of one's faculties of vision, sound, smell, touch, or taste; an instance of thinking.

To long for; want.

(uncountable) The operation by which mental activity arise or are manipulated; the process of thinking; the agency by which thinking is accomplished.

To feel or express a desire for

(uncountable) A way of thinking (associated with a group, nation or region).

To order, entreat, or request

Anxiety, distress.

To desire (something bad) to happen to someone

(uncountable) The careful consideration of multiple factors; deliberation.

To have or feel a desire

A very small amount, distance, etc.; a whit or jot.

To express a wish.

Simple past tense and past participle of think

A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.

The act of thinking; the exercise of the mind in any of its higher forms; reflection; cogitation.

An expression of such a desire, often connected with ideas of magic and supernatural power.

Meditation; serious consideration.

The thing desired or longed for.

That which is thought; an idea; a mental conception, whether an opinion, judgment, fancy, purpose, or intention.

(Sussex) A water meadow.

Solicitude; anxious care; concern.

(transitive) To desire; to want.

A small degree or quantity; a trifle; as, a thought longer; a thought better.

To hope (+ object clause with may or in present subjunctive).

The content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about;

To hope (for a particular outcome), even if that outcome is unlikely to occur or cannot occur.

The process of thinking (especially thinking carefully);

(ditransitive) To bestow (a thought or gesture) towards (someone or something).

The organized beliefs of a period or group or individual;

To request or desire to do an activity.

A personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty;

(transitive) To recommend; to seek confidence or favour on behalf of.

To have a desire or yearning; to long; to hanker.

To desire; to long for; to hanker after; to have a mind or disposition toward.

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.

To recommend; to seek confidence or favor in behalf of.

Desire; eager desire; longing.

Expression of desire; request; petition; hence, invocation or imprecation.

A thing desired; an object of desire.

A specific feeling of desire;

An expression of some desire or inclination;

(usually plural) a polite expression of desire for someone's welfare;

The particular preference that you have;

Hope for; have a wish;

Prefer or wish to do something;

Have in mind;

Make or express a wish;

Feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune of

Order politely; express a wish for

Invoke upon;