wanting
Americanadjective
-
lacking or absent.
a motor with some of the parts wanting.
-
deficient in some part, thing, or respect.
to be wanting in courtesy.
preposition
-
lacking; without.
a box wanting a lid.
-
less; minus.
a century wanting three years.
adjective
-
lacking or absent; missing
-
not meeting requirements or expectations
you have been found wanting
preposition
-
without
-
archaic minus
Etymology
Origin of wanting
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (adjective); want + -ing 2
Explanation
If something's wanting, there's not enough of something necessary in it. If your essay is wanting, it's missing something important and won't get an A. Try adding body paragraphs. If you forget the sugar in your chocolate chip cookies, you'll find them wanting when you taste them. Likewise, if your favorite team's defense is wanting, they're likely to lose the basketball game. Wanting, which was originally wantand, comes from the verb want, "to be lacking." This definition pre-dated the now more common "to wish for" by 500 years.
Vocabulary lists containing wanting
Nobody's Home: Synonyms For "Absent"
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Absent
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Lacking
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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.
Being a broke rapper for so long, part of the job is to put out an image that you feel represents the music, and it gets people wanting to listen.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
"I find myself wanting to save money even more now," said 24-year-old July Xu, who was browsing the stores in upmarket Xintiandi with her friends.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Park has emphasized her advocacy for fire recovery efforts, including pushing for permit fee waivers for residents wanting to rebuild.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
For fans wanting to experience some of that dream through a full tour of the new album, Peters says they'll have to "wait and see".
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Sensing Duane’s disappointment, and genuinely wanting to show some gratitude for his new name, Handsome added, “Otherwise, I’d be more than willing to continue on.”
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
