want
Americanverb (used with object)
-
wants,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wanted,
past participle, past
-
wanting
present participle
-
to feel a need or a desire for; wish for.
to want one's dinner; always wanting something new.
-
to wish, need, crave, demand, or desire (often followed by an infinitive).
I want to see you.
She wants to be notified.
-
to be without or be deficient in.
to want judgment; to want knowledge.
- Synonyms:
- need
-
to fall short by (a specified amount).
The sum collected wants but a few dollars of the desired amount.
-
to require or need.
The house wants painting.
verb (used without object)
-
wants,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wanted,
past participle, past
-
wanting
present participle
-
to feel inclined; wish; like (often followed byto ).
We can stay home if you want.
-
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.
-
to have need (usually followed byfor ).
If you want for anything, let him know.
-
to be in a state of destitution, need, or poverty.
She would never allow her parents to want.
-
to be lacking or absent, as a part or thing necessary to completeness.
All that wants is his signature.
noun
-
something wanted or needed; necessity.
My wants are few.
- Synonyms:
- desideratum
-
something desired, demanded, or required.
a person of childish, capricious wants.
-
absence or deficiency of something desirable or requisite; lack.
plants dying for want of rain.
- Synonyms:
- paucity, insufficiency, inadequacy, scarcity, dearth
-
the state of being without something desired or needed; need.
to be in want of an assistant.
-
the state of being without the necessaries of life; destitution; poverty.
a country where want is virtually unknown.
-
a sense of lack or need of something.
to feel a vague want.
idioms
verb
-
(tr) to feel a need or longing for
I want a new hat
-
(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
-
to be lacking or deficient (in something necessary or desirable)
the child wants for nothing
-
(tr) to feel the absence of
lying on the ground makes me want my bed
-
(tr) to fall short by (a specified amount)
-
(tr) to have need of or require (doing or being something)
your shoes want cleaning
-
(intr) to be destitute
-
(tr; often passive) to seek or request the presence of
you're wanted upstairs
-
(intr) to be absent
-
informal (tr; takes an infinitive) should or ought (to do something)
you don't want to go out so late
-
informal to wish to be included in a venture
-
informal to wish to be excluded from a venture
noun
-
the act or an instance of wanting
-
anything that is needed, desired, or lacked
to supply someone's wants
-
a lack, shortage, or absence
for want of common sense
-
the state of being in need; destitution
the state should help those in want
-
a sense of lack; craving
noun
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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
wantsimple
-
wantssimple
-
have wantedperfect
-
has wantedperfect
-
am wantingprogressive
-
are wantingprogressive
-
is wantingprogressive
-
have been wantingperfect progressive
-
has been wantingperfect progressive
Past
-
wantedsimple
-
had wantedperfect
-
was wantingprogressive
-
were wantingprogressive
-
had been wantingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of want
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English wante, from Old Norse vanta “to lack”
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.
Vocabulary lists containing want
"A Modest Proposal," Vocabulary from the satire
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Either you want compassion or you want to avoid harm.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
Campaigners want that decision to be reversed – a call echoed by the Treasury select committee in a report following its inquiry into student loans last month.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
But there’s an underlying lesson, he added: People want to know what they are getting into before they go along with a big change to their tax rules.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Success Academy’s $245 million charter opens to 2,400 K-12 students—and soon to policymakers who want to see how it’s done.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
I guess needing comfort food is a family trait, because all I want is my go-to food—Frosted Flakes.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Jenner hates the paparazzi for invading her privacy but sees no moral quandary in collecting a check from Mark Zuckerberg, who wants to invade everyone’s privacy.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
Jones Trading’s Michael O’Rourke wants us to pay attention to collapsing AI-token prices.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
He has said he wants the service to be the “digital centerpiece” of the company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
South Africa's foreign minister wants new rules and "more transparency" to apply to former heads of state undertaking foreign trips.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
“Tansy wants a garter snake,” I told Glenn.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
“We wanted to emulate the style of old noir films and some of the newer neo-noir films like ‘L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
And she wanted this album to feel like something new and different.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
“When the semaglutide data came, Lilly wanted to create something as good or superior to semaglutide quickly,” Lundberg said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
“She just really wanted to know what this woman’s life was like.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
He wanted to stay with the Duchess when his master went to fight, but Don Quixote said he must go or the spell wouldn't be broken.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
“I would be wanting to work with the administration to help Californians,” Hilton has said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
“I can’t fault people from wanting to graduate early — I mean, I did it myself,” Erle said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
The top comment under the Petal video on YouTube said: "It's not about wanting the old Ariana back. It's about wanting her to be healthy."
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
"After upgrading the memory, I found it ran really smoothly, and I stopped wanting to buy a new computer," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
I tell myself they’re not wrong, but I can’t help wanting what I want for me.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
