wishfully

/ˈwɪʃ.fəl.i/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɪʃfəli] /ˈwɪʃ.fəl.i/ (ame, ipa)

wishfully — adverb

1. while speaking, looking, or thinking as if a hoped-for result might still come t

1.副詞C1
釋義

while speaking, looking, or thinking as if a hoped-for result might still come true, even though it probably will not.

例句

Roya stared at the empty driveway wishfully, hoping her brother might still arrive.

look/stare + wishfully when hoping for an unlikely result

The children spoke wishfully about snow, even though the sky stayed bright blue.

同義詞
  • wistfully

    adds a softer, slightly sad emotional tone

  • longingly

    stronger and more intense; often more emotional or physical

  • hopefully

    more neutral; suggests expectation rather than doubtful longing

反義詞

文法句型

look/stare/glance + wishfully

wishfully + about + noun

用法筆記

Often follows verbs such as look, stare, glance, talk, or think. It usually suggests longing for something that seems doubtful or already out of reach, so it is less neutral than hopefully.

常見錯誤

❌She looked hopefully at the closed shop.
✅She looked wishfully at the closed shop.
💡'wishfully' fits longing for something unlikely; 'hopefully' more often means expecting a good result.