wishlist

WISH-list /ˈwɪʃlɪst/
nounB1
General

A feature that allows users to create personalized collections of items they want to buy but are not ready to purchase yet.

It serves as a tool for future planning or for sharing gift ideas with others.

The story behind the word. A compound of the ancient Germanic 'wish' and the French 'list' (which originally meant a strip of paper). It is the digital version of a child's letter to Santa Claus.

Word relationships

  • favorites: Favorites are things you already like; a wishlist is specifically for things you want to own.

Commonly confused with

  • cart: Cart is for 'now'; wishlist is for 'later'.

Collocations

  • add to wishlist
  • public wishlist
  • shared wishlist

Example sentences

  • "I added the expensive camera to my wishlist, hoping it will go on sale during Black Friday." Holiday planning.

Memory hook

A 'List' of things you 'Wish' you had. The 'maybe later' list.

When not to use

Do not use this for items you have already decided to buy immediately; use 'cart' for those.

Fun facts

  • Wishlists are a goldmine for retailers because they reveal exactly what customers desire, even if they can't afford it yet.

Related words

cart, subscription

LangBlitz
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz

Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.