want
verb (used with object)
to feel a need or a desire for; wish for.
had wanted
-
past perfectof want.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
He had wanted to meet McGee long before they encountered each other in a San Francisco thrift store last year, and he admires his support for less established artists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
The Rays couldn’t have done that even if Friedman had wanted to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
She had wanted to bury her mother in their home village, but for now that is impossible, so she has been cremated and her ashes sit in Lyubov's apartment in Belgorod, about 100 miles away.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
I watched a sixth-round afterthought — the 199th pick in the draft, a kid nobody had wanted on their team — walk onto the field and start rewriting what was possible.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
But before they could join the other students, their parents had wanted to make sure they had mastered the basics and caught up.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
