different between wish vs entreat

English

Etymology

From Middle English wisshen, wischen, wüschen, from Old English w?s?an (“to wish”), from Proto-West Germanic *wunskijan, from Proto-Germanic *wunskijan? (“to wish”), from Proto-Indo-European *wun-, *wenh?- (“to wish, love”).

Cognate with Scots wis (“to wish”), Saterland Frisian wonskje (“to wish”), West Frisian winskje (“to wish”), Dutch wensen (“to wish”), German wünschen (“to wish”), Danish ønske (“to wish”), Icelandic æskja, óska (“to wish”), Latin Venus, veneror (“venerate, honour, love”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: w?sh, IPA^(key): /w??/
• Rhymes: -??
• Homophone: whish (in accents with the wine-whine merger)

Noun

wish (plural wishes)

1. A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.
2. An expression of such a desire, often connected with ideas of magic and supernatural power.
3. The thing desired or longed for.
   • 1901, W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw

     "I suppose all old soldiers are the same," said Mrs White. "The idea of our listening to such nonsense! How could wishes be granted in these days? And if they could, how could two hundred pounds hurt you, father?" / "Might drop on his head from the sky," said the frivolous Herbert.

4. (Sussex) A water meadow.

Usage notes

• Collocates with make for the common expression make a wish. See Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• precatory
• velleity

Verb

wish (third-person singular simple present wishes, present participle wishing, simple past and past participle wished)

1. (transitive) To desire; to want.
   • 1716, Jonathan Swift, Phyllis, or the Progress of Love

     Now John the butler must be sent
     To learn the road that Phyllis went:
     The groom was wished to saddle Crop;
     For John must neither light nor stop,
     But find her, wheresoe'er she fled,
     And bring her back alive or dead.
2. (transitive, now rare) To hope (+ object clause with may or in present subjunctive).
   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 84:

     I wish he mean me well, that he takes so much pains!

   • 1808, Jane Austen, letter, 1 October:

     She hears that Miss Bigg is to be married in a fortnight. I wish it may be so.

3. (intransitive, followed by for) To hope (for a particular outcome).
   • 1727, John Arbuthnot, Tables of Ancient Coins, Weights and Measures

     This is as good an argument as an antiquary could wish for.

   • 1901, W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw

     Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously. "I don't know what to wish for, and that's a fact," he said slowly. "It seems to me I've got all I want."

4. (ditransitive) To bestow (a thought or gesture) towards (someone or something).
   • Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil.

5. (intransitive, followed by to and an infinitive) To request or desire to do an activity.
6. (transitive) To recommend; to seek confidence or favour on behalf of.
   • 1610, Ben Jonson, The Alchemist

     I was wished to your worship by a gentleman.

Usage notes

• In sense 4, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Derived terms

Translations

References

• wish at OneLook Dictionary Search
• wish in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman entretier, from Old French entraiter, from en- + traiter.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?t?i?t/, /?n?t?i?t/, /?n?t?i?t/
• Rhymes: -i?t

Verb

entreat (third-person singular simple present entreats, present participle entreating, simple past and past participle entreated)

1. To treat with, or in respect to, a thing desired; hence, to ask for earnestly.
   • 1623, William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona

     If you be she, I doe intreat your patience.
2. To beseech or supplicate (a person); to prevail upon by prayer or solicitation; to try to persuade.
   • 1789, John Rogers, The Nature and Influence of the Fear of God (sermon)

     It were a fruitless attempt to appease a power whom no prayers could entreat.

   • 1847, Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, Chapter XVIII

     “But I cannot persuade her to go away, my lady,” said the footman; “nor can any of the servants. Mrs. Fairfax is with her just now, entreating her to be gone; but she has taken a chair in the chimney-comer, and says nothing shall stir her from it till she gets leave to come in here.”

   • 1937, Frank Churchill and Leigh Harline, “One Song”, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney:

     One heart / Tenderly beating / Ever entreating / Constant and true

3. (obsolete) To invite; to entertain.
4. (obsolete) To treat or discourse; hence, to enter into negotiations, as for a treaty.
   • 1627, George Hakewill, Apologie ... of the Power and Providence of God

     of which I shall have further occasion to intreate

   • 1611, King James Bible, 1 Maccabees x. 47

     Alexander […] was first that entreated of true peace with them.

5. (obsolete, intransitive) To make an earnest petition or request.
6. (obsolete, transitive) To treat, or conduct toward; to deal with; to use.
   • 1597, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of King Richard the Second

     Fairly let her be entreated.

   • 1611 King James Bible, Jeremiah xv. 11

     I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well.

Translations

Noun

entreat (plural entreats)

1. (obsolete) An entreaty.
   • 1661, Samuel Pordage, Mundorum Explicatio

     Let my entreats of Love prevail so far, / When for your happinesse they spoken are: […]

   • 2006, Khaled Abou El Fadl, The Search for Beauty in Islam: A Conference of the Books,^[2] Rowman & Littlefield, ?ISBN, page 236:

     In the Muslim world, the most compelling and decisive books are those full of confessions written on the flesh of victims, and the most earnest prayers are the entreats for mercy screamed in pain and anguish at the tormentors and flesh and thought.

Anagrams

• Arnette, Ternate, ratteen, ternate