wishful thinking

wishful thinking
noun
the illusion that what you wish for is actually true (Freq. 2)
• Hypernyms: ↑illusion, ↑fantasy, ↑phantasy, ↑fancy

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noun
1. : illusory attribution of actuality to what one wishes to be or become true and discovery of justifications for what one wants to believe through unconscious motivation in order to avoid facing painful or unpleasant facts

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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.
[1925-30]

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wishful thinking noun (psychology)
1. A type of thinking in which the individual substitutes the fantasy of the fulfilment of the wish for the actual achievement
2. A belief that a particular thing will happen, or is so, engendered by desire that it should happen, or be so
3. (loosely) thinking about and wishing for an event or turn of fortune that may not take place
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Main Entry: ↑wish

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wishful thinking UK [ˌwɪʃf(ə)l ˈθɪŋkɪŋ] US [ˌwɪʃfəl ˈθɪŋkɪŋ] noun [uncountable]
a belief that something that you want to be true is true

She was sure he’d forgiven her – or was that just wishful thinking?

Thesaurus: thoughts, ideas and beliefssynonym

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wishful thinking,
a believing something to be true that one wishes or wants to be true.

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noun [noncount]
: an attitude or belief that something you want to happen will happen even though it is not likely or possible

The idea that the enemy will immediately surrender is nothing more than wishful thinking.

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ˌwishful ˈthinking [wishful thinking] noun uncountable
the belief that sth that you want to happen is happening or will happen, although this is actually not true or very unlikely

•

I've got a feeling that Alex likes me, but that might just be wishful thinking.


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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