want
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.
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.
to feel inclined; wish; like (often followed by to): 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 by for): He did not want for abilities.
to have need (usually followed by for): 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.
something wanted or needed; necessity: My wants are few.
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.
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 about want
wantin / out, Chiefly Midland.
to desire to enter or leave: The cat wants in.
Informal. to desire acceptance in or release from something specified: I talked with Louie about our plan, and he wants in.
Origin of want
1Other words for want
1 | require, crave |
3 | need |
11 | desideratum |
13 | dearth, scarcity, inadequacy, insufficiency, paucity, scarceness, meagerness |
15 | privation, penury, indigence |
Other words from want
- wanter, noun
- wantless, adjective
- want·less·ness, noun
- self-want, noun
- un·want·ed, adjective
Words that may be confused with want
Words Nearby want
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use want in a sentence
She must toil on, sometimes far into the night, to satisfy the wants of her growing family.
America forgot how to make proper pie. Can we remember before it’s too late? | Megan McArdle | July 1, 2021 | Washington PostI'm concerned that so many people experienced complications, for want of a more inclusive word.
The Trailer: A Texas free-for-all, as twenty-three candidates battle for a swing House seat | David Weigel | April 22, 2021 | Washington PostIn his research, he and his colleagues have found that when faced with decisions, CEOs rarely give weight to the wants and needs of stakeholders, largely because there is little value or profit incentive to do so.
Stakeholder capitalism: Is it working, or is it all talk? | McKenna Moore | November 3, 2020 | FortuneEvery buyer has their own list of wants, needs, and must not have’s in their head.
You can paint a spoon any color you want and go crazy with experimental patterns.
Turn an old spoon into a fishing lure that’ll catch almost anything | By Joe Cermele/Field & Stream | June 25, 2020 | Popular-Science
So it might be me projecting my desires onto Archer to want to just get away from work for a few weeks.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS | Marlow Stern | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTModels in Israel will have to maintain a BMI of 18.5 or higher if they want to stay employed.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models | Carrie Arnold | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTWhy would “they” want to crush him just for attempting to buy something twenty years ago?
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers | Stereo Williams | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTOne wants speech to be free, but one doesn't actually want to hear it.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead | Luke O’Neil | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTNo one seems to know who that is—or why they would want to do such a thing.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers | Stereo Williams | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTNow first we shall want our pupil to understand, speak, read and write the mother tongue well.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation | H. G. (Herbert George) WellsThe sailors sometimes use it to fry their meat, for want of butter, and find it agreeable enough.
It will be a busy session; and I want to see if I can't become a useful public man.
Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry WoodDo you want the marriage of your daughter with the rich and Honourable Harry broken?
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeI want to see the sort of thing happening to schools that has already happened to many sorts of retail shops.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation | H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
British Dictionary definitions for want (1 of 2)
/ (wɒnt) /
(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
(intr usually used with a negative and often foll by for) 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) mainly British 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
(tr; takes an infinitive) informal should or ought (to do something): you don't want to go out so late
want in informal to wish to be included in a venture
want out informal to wish to be excluded from a venture
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
Origin of want
1Derived forms of want
- wanter, noun
British Dictionary definitions for want (2 of 2)
/ (wɒnt) /
English dialect a mole
Origin of want
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with want
In addition to the idioms beginning with want
- want for nothing
- want in
also see:
- waste not, want not
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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