wanting

[won-ting, wawn-]

adjective

1. lacking or absent.

   a motor with some of the parts wanting.

2. deficient in some part, thing, or respect.

   to be wanting in courtesy.

preposition

1. lacking; without.

   a box wanting a lid.

2. less; minus.

   a century wanting three years.

wanting

/ ˈwɒntɪŋ /

adjective

1. lacking or absent; missing

2. not meeting requirements or expectations

   you have been found wanting

preposition

1. without

2. archaic,  minus

Word History and Origins

Origin of wanting¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (adjective); want + -ing ²

Example Sentences

It’s like a piece of music that keeps switching harmonic structures, not wanting to get stuck in the same groove.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Reid counters that the advent of AI chatbots is helping fuel users wanting more information.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The shopping centre said, despite wanting to see the former High Street favourite make a return, the sign was not legitimate.

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"The search for work, economic difficulties and poverty are the main reasons" for wanting to emigrate, with North America the "preferred destination", Afrobarometer said.

Read more on Barron's

Sir Keir told Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky that the UK, France and Germany were "united in wanting to drive progress towards using the full value of the immobilised Russian sovereign assets to end the war".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• deficient 
• unfulfilled