Wisht

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "wisht" is the dialect form of "wished," the past tense of "wish." It’s a natural, long-standing feature of the region’s everyday talk.

#SouthernWords #Appalachia #Southern

Hillbilly Dude Says...

"I wisht I’d stayed home instead of goin’ to that meetin’."

Hillbilly Dude Says...

"I wisht I’d stayed home instead of goin’ to that meetin’."

Pronunciation

[WISHT] (rhymes with "fished")

Meaning & Usage

- Past tense of "wish" - to regret or desire something differently (dialect verb)

Mae:

How’d it go?

Earl:

I wisht I’d stayed home.

variations: wished

★ "Wisht" is a hallmark of Southern/Appalachian speech. It’s not a mistake - it’s an older English form that survived in rural dialects, showing Scots-Irish influence. ★

Origin and Etymology

Found in Appalachian dialect studies, "wisht" appears in 19th-century American literature as a common vernacular spelling of "wished," showing its long history in rural Southern speech.

Usage Notes

Still used in rural Southern/Appalachian communities. Outside the region it’s rare and may be recognized mainly from dialect writing or literature.

Say It Like a Southerner

Said plain: "wisht." Often in sentences like "I wisht I never"" or "He wisht he hadn’t""

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Is "wisht" wrong grammar?

No - it’s a legitimate regional past tense of "wish," reflecting historical pronunciation.

Do people still say it today?

Yes - especially older Southerners and in Appalachian storytelling.

Can it mean "quiet" or "hush"?

In some old dialects "wisht" also meant "hush" (as in "Be wisht!"), but in the South it’s mostly the past tense of "wish."

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, September 20). Wisht. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/wisht
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Wisht." HillbillySlang.com, 20 Sept. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/wisht.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Wisht." HillbillySlang.com. September 20, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/wisht.

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Created by a true, actual, proper, real-life hillbilly, HillbillySlang is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...