Will-o'-the-wisp Definition

wĭlə-thə-wĭsp
noun

Ignis fatuus.

Webster's New World
Any hope or goal that leads one on but is impossible to reach.
Webster's New World
Alternative spelling of will o' the wisp.
Wiktionary

(idiomatic, British folklore) A strange light that attracts travellers from pathways into dangerous marshes or graveyards.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Will-o'-the-wisp

Noun

Singular:
will-o'-the-wisp
Plural:
will-o-the-wisps

Origin of Will-o'-the-wisp

  • from Will (“male given name”) + of the + wisp (“bundle of straw or hay used as a torch”)

    From Wiktionary

  • From Will nickname for William

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Will-o'-the-wisp Sentence Examples

  • Influence is a will o'the wisp but this may be Chris's greatest contribution.

  • Influence is a will o'the wisp but this may be Chris 's greatest contribution.

  • In the meantime, while various observers were building up our knowledge of the morphology of bacteria, others were laying the foundation of what is known of the relations of these organisms to fermentation and disease - that ancient will-o'-the-wisp " spontaneous generation " being revived by the way.

  • During the past century it was and even now is the very " will-o'-the-wisp " of evolution, always tending to lead the phylogenist astray.

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Words Starting With

WWIWIL

Words Ending With

PSPISP

Unscrambles

will-o'-the-wisp

Words Starting With W and Ending With P

Starts With W & Ends With PStarts With WI & Ends With PStarts With W & Ends With SP

Word Length

15 Letter Words15 Letter Words Starting With W15 Letter Words Ending With P