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
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"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 3
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Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 2
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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:
If you want the least restrictive option, you can choose traditional Medicare, but you will need a special supplemental policy, known as a Medigap plan, to protect you from big out-of-pocket charges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
“I want to really promote finding your real-life community,” Monáe says during a Zoom call ahead of the festive run.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
While the issue over his recent comments is now considered closed, the club are still to decide whether they want to trigger the contract option.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Polling indicates less than a quarter of Alberta's roughly five million people want to break away from Canada, but Carney, who grew up in the western province, said "polls don't vote."
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
“Yes. I don’t want you to go through this on your own.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Netflix said it wants to “invest aggressively in high impact areas.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
I think everybody wants public figures to be very authentically outspoken until it goes against their own beliefs, and then it’s too far.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Green leader Zack Polanski, who skipped the conference vote to unsuccessfully campaign for election in a Westminster by-election, has said he wants to see the "imperfect" motion amended in future.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Related: ‘The prospectus looks impressive’: My financial adviser wants me to invest $350,000 in a UAE data center.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
When the administrators at Carville ask the priest for an explanation, he tells them that he wants nothing to do with her.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
A planning application for the retreat in 2021 said Church wanted to transform Rhydoldog House into a carbon neutral wellbeing and healing retreat with four log cabins in the grounds as tourist accommodation.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Germany wanted less stringent carbon emission targets for carmakers and a broad interpretation of "made in Europe" to include key non-EU trade partners.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
In the 1970s he hosted “Rod Serling’s Night Gallery,” but NBC mostly wanted to trade on his name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
In 2024, when they first approached Guitarrica — he says he was shocked they wanted him to act — Los Javis didn’t have a screenplay yet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
This little girl who played make-believe, who wanted to serve her faith and walk through battlefields like Joan of Arc, had survived war, sickness, and separation.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
With these songs, I was also looking back at a lot of the traditional Texas dance hall music that I grew up hearing, and wanting to purposely make a record that people could two-step to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
But I loved it as a child, as I’ve said, and not wanting to be on that magical box I was so obsessed with would have seemed perverse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
I understand not wanting to abandon your cultural customs on your birthday.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Entry is free, but anyone wanting to consult the collections has to register and book an appointment in advance because of the nature of the material.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
We watch as these elders, once proud Jews, walk slowly behind the priest, wanting nothing but a bowl of soup and a bed after the miserable time on the road.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
