want

American  

[wont, wawnt] / wɒnt, wɔnt /

verb (used with object)

• wants,
  present (3rd person singular)
• wanted,
  past participle,  past
• wanting
  present participle

1. to feel a need or a desire for; wish for.

   to want one's dinner; always wanting something new.

   Synonyms:

   crave, require

2. to wish, need, crave, demand, or desire (often followed by an infinitive).

   I want to see you.

   She wants to be notified.

3. to be without or be deficient in.

   to want judgment; to want knowledge.

   Synonyms:

   need

4. to fall short by (a specified amount).

   The sum collected wants but a few dollars of the desired amount.

5. to require or need.

   The house wants painting.

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verb (used without object)

• wants,
  present (3rd person singular)
• wanted,
  past participle,  past
• wanting
  present participle

1. to feel inclined; wish; like (often followed byto ).

   We can stay home if you want.

2. to be deficient by the absence of some part or thing, or to feel or have a need (sometimes followed byfor ).

   He did not want for abilities.

3. to have need (usually followed byfor ).

   If you want for anything, let him know.

4. to be in a state of destitution, need, or poverty.

   She would never allow her parents to want.

5. to be lacking or absent, as a part or thing necessary to completeness.

   All that wants is his signature.

noun

1. something wanted or needed; necessity.

   My wants are few.

   Synonyms:

   desideratum

2. something desired, demanded, or required.

   a person of childish, capricious wants.

3. absence or deficiency of something desirable or requisite; lack.

   plants dying for want of rain.

   Synonyms:

   paucity, insufficiency, inadequacy, scarcity, dearth

4. the state of being without something desired or needed; need.

   to be in want of an assistant.

5. the state of being without the necessaries of life; destitution; poverty.

   a country where want is virtually unknown.

   Synonyms:

   indigence, penury, privation

6. a sense of lack or need of something.

   to feel a vague want.

idioms

1. want in / out,

   1. to desire to enter or leave.

      The cat wants in.

   2. Informal. to desire acceptance in or release from something specified.

      I talked with Louie about our plan, and he wants in.

want ¹ British  

/ wɒnt /

verb

1. (tr) to feel a need or longing for

   I want a new hat

2. (when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to wish, need, or desire (something or to do something)

   he wants to go home

3. to be lacking or deficient (in something necessary or desirable)

   the child wants for nothing

4. (tr) to feel the absence of

   lying on the ground makes me want my bed

5. (tr) to fall short by (a specified amount)

6. (tr) to have need of or require (doing or being something)

   your shoes want cleaning

7. (intr) to be destitute

8. (tr; often passive) to seek or request the presence of

   you're wanted upstairs

9. (intr) to be absent

10. informal (tr; takes an infinitive) should or ought (to do something)

    you don't want to go out so late

11. informal to wish to be included in a venture

12. informal to wish to be excluded from a venture

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noun

1. the act or an instance of wanting

2. anything that is needed, desired, or lacked

   to supply someone's wants

3. a lack, shortage, or absence

   for want of common sense

4. the state of being in need; destitution

   the state should help those in want

5. a sense of lack; craving

want ² British  

/ wɒnt /

noun

1. dialect a mole

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want More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing want

• waste not, want not

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Usage

What are other ways to say want? To want is to feel a need or a desire for something. How is want different from desire and wish? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-want
  noun
• wanter
  noun
• wantlessness
  noun
• unwanted
  adjective
• wantless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• wanting
  present
• wanted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• want
  simple
• wants
  simple
• have wanted
  perfect
• has wanted
  perfect
• am wanting
  progressive
• are wanting
  progressive
• is wanting
  progressive
• have been wanting
  perfect progressive
• has been wanting
  perfect progressive

Past

• wanted
  simple
• had wanted
  perfect
• was wanting
  progressive
• were wanting
  progressive
• had been wanting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will want
  simple
• will have wanted
  perfect
• will be wanting
  progressive
• will have been wanting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of want

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English wante, from Old Norse vanta “to lack”

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Explanation

In all its forms, want has to do with the lack of having and the desire to have. You can want or desire something you’d like, or you can be in want of something you need. The word want goes back to the 12th century and the Old Norse language, where vanta meant "to be deficient," or “in want.” If someone keeps bugging you, you might lose patience and ask, "What do you want?" If you are seeking employment, check the "want ads" or look for signs saying "Help Wanted." If you are a "wanted criminal," you might have trouble getting hired.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

want wants wanted wanting

For a solid few hours, every other sentence between my roommate and I was “I want to throw up” and “Is this real?”

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

"I always do things that are tough because I genuinely want to learn," Kardashian says.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

“Do you want a transformative moment? Absolutely,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

"We seem to be getting everything we want," he told the Financial Times newspaper on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

“This is a good idea. I’ve been alone for a while now… It’s not wrong to want a personal life. Why should this be a big deal? It’s not…” Dad says, answering his own question.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

"He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar," Ossoff added.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Pocognoli suggests Miller is a victim of playing in the area of the team's "most competitive" field and wants to deploy him in a more advanced midfield role.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

It’s a roller coaster ride from the start, and Pinkleton said he always wants the audience to have a great time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

Mr. Vance says he wants the U.S. to attract exceptional talent like Mr. Musk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

“Tansy wants a garter snake,” I told Glenn.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

We wanted to believe, but we had been here plenty of times before.

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

In the runup to Tuesday, I spoke to several voters who wanted to re-elect the “real” Sen. Dan Sullivan, but who remained unclear as to his middle initial.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

Oppenheim, however, told Vulture last month that Evans seemed to initiate the scene: “It seems like he really had something he wanted to show to us and to the world.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

That meant that Turk wanted to use Mountbatten-Windsor's evidence and has been successful in summonsing him for that purpose.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Germany was ruled by Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party, who wanted Germany to rule Europe.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

CEO Alex Karp in a note Monday credited the gains to businesses wanting more control over their AI use instead of relying on AI labs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

"For example if you were wanting revisional surgery, placement of filler in certain areas would prevent certain operations from being possible afterwards."

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

Crook knew that he wanted the homunculi to be almost still, as if someone had fallen into icy water, their cold, wet clothes clinging to them, barely wanting to move.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

Not wanting to put their customers at risk, they’d begun towing people’s cars from their homes to the shop, and driving them back once the repairs were complete.

From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026

I had changed things at least half a dozen times, wanting the shop to feel uncluttered and elegant.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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Related Words

• choose
• crave
• need
• prefer
• require
• wish

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