want

[ wont, wawnt ]

/ wɒnt, wɔnt /

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See synonyms for: want / wanted / wanting / wants on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

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.

verb (used without object)

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.

noun

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR want

1 require, crave.

3 need.

11 desideratum.

13 dearth, scarcity, inadequacy, insufficiency, paucity, scarceness, meagerness.

15 privation, penury, indigence.

See synonyms for want on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about want

want in / 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

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

OTHER WORDS FROM want

wanter, nounwantless, adjectivewant·less·ness, nounself-want, noun

un·want·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH want

1. unwanted , unwonted2. want , wont

Words nearby want

wanky, wanna, wannabe, Wanne-Eickel, wannish, want, want ad, wantage, Wantagh, wantaway, wanted

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WHEN TO USE

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.

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 Post
I'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 Post
In 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|Fortune
Every buyer has their own list of wants, needs, and must not have’s in their head.
What are the factors that make us move?|Joseph Hudson|September 4, 2020|Washington Blade

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|DAILY BEAST
Models 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|DAILY BEAST
Why 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|DAILY BEAST
One 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|DAILY BEAST
No 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|DAILY BEAST
Now first we shall want our pupil to understand, speak, read and write the mother tongue well.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
The sailors sometimes use it to fry their meat, for want of butter, and find it agreeable enough.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
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 Wood
Do you want the marriage of your daughter with the rich and Honourable Harry broken?
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
I 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)

want¹

/ (wɒnt) /

verb

(tr) to feel a need or longing forI 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 oflying 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 ofyou'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

noun

the act or an instance of wanting

anything that is needed, desired, or lackedto supply someone's wants

a lack, shortage, or absencefor want of common sense

the state of being in need; destitutionthe state should help those in want

a sense of lack; craving

Derived forms of want

wanter, noun

Word Origin for want

C12 (vb, in the sense: it is lacking), C13 (n): from Old Norse vanta to be deficient; related to Old English wanian to wane

British Dictionary definitions for want (2 of 2)

want²

/ (wɒnt) /

noun

English dialect a mole

Word Origin for want

Old English wand

Collins 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

want

In addition to the idioms beginning with want

want for nothing
want in

also see:

waste not, want not

want

OTHER WORDS FOR want

Idioms about want

Origin of want

OTHER WORDS FROM want

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH want

Words nearby want

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say want?

Words related to want

How to use want in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for want (1 of 2)

Derived forms of want

Word Origin for want

British Dictionary definitions for want (2 of 2)

Word Origin for want

Other Idioms and Phrases with want