Synonyms

wishful thinking

American

noun

interpretation of facts, actions, words, etc., as one would like them to be rather than as they really are; imagining as actual what is not.

wishful thinking British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wishful thinking Idioms

Interpreting matters as one would like them to be, as opposed to what they really are. For example, Matthew wanted to be a basketball player, but with his height that was wishful thinking. This term comes from Freudian psychology of the mid-1920s and soon began to be used more loosely.

Other Word Forms

wishful thinker noun

Etymology

Origin of wishful thinking

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ali Vaez, an Iran analyst at International Crisis Group, said the idea that American and Israeli bombing would trigger a popular uprising in Iran is wishful thinking.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bulls yelling “It’s the next gold!” is really more wishful thinking than reality.

From The Wall Street Journal

There’s a fair bit of analysis suggesting the whole thing may be more wishful thinking than a useful tool to time your investing.

From MarketWatch

However, judge Lord Sandison rejected the claims, describing the way Biffa interpreted the letter as "wishful thinking" on a par with trying to turn "base metal into gold".

From BBC

My mother’s voice knocked me out of my wishful thinking.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023