well-wisher

well-wish·er
UK/ˈwɛlˌwɪʃə/US/ˈwɛlˌwɪʃɚ/

noun

Someone who extends good wishes, or expresses sympathy, to someone else.

Similar
good willerwell-willersympathizersympathiser
Opposite
evil willerill-willer
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Meanings

well-wisher1

nounwell-wisher (plural well-wishers)

plural well-wishers

  1. Someone who extends good wishes, or expresses sympathy, to someone else.

    [G]ive me the hopes of my dear girl's approaching felicity, equal to the deſires of / Her ſincereſt VVellvviſher, / LAVINIA RAWLINS.

    1770, “Letter XIV. Miss Lavinia Rawlins, to Mrs. Gertrude Coningsby.”, in The History of Lavinia Rawlins. […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] [F]or the editor; and sold by F. Noble, […]; and J. Noble, […], page 111
    5 more examples

    [T]hose honest gentlemen that are always exposed to the wit and raillery of their well-wishers and companions; that are pelted by men, women, and children, friends and foes, and in a word, stand as butts in conversation, for every one to shoot at that pleases.

    1711 May 5 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “TUESDAY, April 25, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 48; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, pages 308–309

    [T]he actual traytor or rebel is guilty of perjury in the eye of the lavv; the ſecret promoter, or vvell-vviſher of the cauſe, is ſo before the Tribunal of conſcience.

    1716 January 19 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 6. Sunday, January 9. [1716.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC, page 380

    Nor did he ſeem to have made an unreaſonable reply to them both, and it vvas eaſy for a ſpeech to be received favorably amongſt vvellvviſhers.

    1761, Titus Livius [i.e., Livy], chapter L, in [anonymous], transl., Titus Livius’s Roman History from the Building of the City. […], volume VII, Edinburgh: […] A[lexander] Donaldson and J[ohn] Reid, for Alexander Donaldson, →OCLC, book XXXIII, page 235

    She had still, however, her friends and well-wishers, many of whom thought, that as she was a lone woman, and known to be well to pass in the world, she would act wisely to retire from public life, and take down a sign which had no longer fascination for guests.

    1823 December 23 (indicated as 1824), [Walter Scott], “An Old-World Landlady”, in St Ronan’s Well. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, pages 21–22

    "You see before you," she said, with choking utterance, "one who, fallen and degraded as she is, would still venture to hope that she has a friend, at least a wellwisher, in Mr Thornton. If I am mistaken in this, alas! I am friendless."

    1827, [Thomas Hamilton], chapter III, in The Youth and Manhood of Cyril Thornton. […], volume II, Edinburgh: William Blackwood; London: T[homas] Cadell, →OCLC, page 70

    Synonyms: good willer, well-willer · Antonyms: evil willer, ill-willer

  2. obsoleterareFollowed by to: someone who has an ambition to be or become something.

    I never saw your chancellor, nor his chaplain. The latter has a good deal of learning, and is a well wisher to be an author: your chancellor is an excellent man.

    1711 March 17 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Jonathan Swift, “[Dr. Swift’s Journal to Stella.] Letter XVII.”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XIV, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 372

well-wisher2

nounwell-wisher (plural well-wishers)

plural well-wishers

  1. nonce wordrareSomeone who makes a wish at a wishing well.

    They strolled on and passed a smiling man standing by the Village wishing well. "Well," said the well-wisher. Ah … must be the Village idiot.

    2008, Alan Pinkett, chapter 12, in Utta Drivel Too, [S.l.]: [Lulu.com], published 2015, →ISBN, page 45
    2 more examples

    "I'll put a removable lid on it [a wishing well]," he assured her. "That way, it'll be safe for the nippers, but accessible to, um, well wishers. Have a wish in mind, Bree?"

    2014, Nancy Atherton, chapter 7, in Aunt Dimity & the Wishing Well (Aunt Dimity series; 19), London: Headline Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 67

    Maybe I am a wishing well, / I have regular well-wishers / Throwing me a coin. / Only change they throw me / Because they don't expect to see / Any change back.

    2019, A. A. A. Aardvark [pseudonym; Matthew Holmes], Quit before You’re Fired, and Other Visions through Inertia, [Riverwood, N.S.W.]: [Matthew Holmes], →ISBN, page 53

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSomeone who extends good wishes, or expresses sympathy, to someone else.

Similar
good willerwell-willer
Opposite
evil willerill-willer

More synonyms by meaning

nounsomeone who shares your feelings or opinions and hopes that you will be successful

Similar
sympathizersympathiser
Broader
supporterprotagonistchampion
Also see
good willersympathizerwell-willer

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

well-wisher · noun

From well (“in a desirable manner; so as one could wish”, adverb) + wisher.

Full word history & related roots →

well-wisher · noun

From well (“hole sunk into the ground as a source of water, etc.”) + wisher.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali খয়ের খাঁ
  • খয়ের খাঁ (khoẏer khã)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
Bulgarian доброжелател, доброжела́тел
  • доброжелател (dobroželatel)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • доброжела́тел (dobroželátel)someone who expresses sympathy to someone else
Chinese Mandarin 祝福者
  • 祝福者 (zhùfúzhě)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
Finnish onnentoivottaja, onnittelija
  • onnentoivottajasomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • onnittelijasomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • osanottajasomeone who expresses sympathy to someone else
German Wohlwünscher, Wohlwünscherin
  • Wohlwünschersomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • Wohlwünscherinsomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
Hindi शुभेच्छु, शुभचिंतक
  • शुभेच्छु (śubhecchu)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • शुभचिंतक (śubhcintak)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • हितार्थी (hitārthī)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • हितार्थ (hitārth)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • हितचिंतक (hitcintak)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
Icelandic velunnari
  • velunnarisomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
Irish lucht dea-mhéine
  • lucht dea-mhéinesomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
Latin benevolus
  • benevolussomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
Latvian labvēlis
  • labvēlissomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
Polish sympatyk, sympatyczka
  • sympatyksomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • sympatyczkasomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • sympatyksomeone who expresses sympathy to someone else
  • sympatyczkasomeone who expresses sympathy to someone else
Romanian voitor de bine
  • voitor de binesomeone who extends good wishes to someone else
Russian доброжела́тель, доброжела́тельница
  • доброжела́тель (dobroželátelʹ)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • доброжела́тельница (dobroželátelʹnica)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
Tamil வேண்டியவன்
  • வேண்டியவன் (vēṇṭiyavaṉ)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
Ukrainian добрози́чливець, доброзичли́вець
  • добрози́чливець (dobrozýčlyvecʹ)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • доброзичли́вець (dobrozyčlývecʹ)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • добрози́чливиця (dobrozýčlyvycja)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • доброзичли́виця (dobrozyčlývycja)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • зи́чливець (zýčlyvecʹ)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • зичли́вець (zyčlývecʹ)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • зи́чливиця (zýčlyvycja)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
  • зичли́виця (zyčlývycja)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
Urdu خیر خواہ
  • خیر خواہ (xair-xvāh, xair-xāh)someone who extends good wishes to someone else
Cite this entry
APA

well-wisher. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-wisher

MLA

“well-wisher.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-wisher. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “well-wisher,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-wisher.

Source: well-wisher on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.