- present participle of want.
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.
Many prestige events and newly built venues also include an increased proportion of hospitality ticketing, which can drive up costs for fans wanting standard tickets.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Boo your front office too, Braves fans, for not wanting to play ball with Freeman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
“The feeling of me wanting to be in Israel just grew stronger,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
"In the initial weeks, I had this really strange pang of wanting to go back. Because it was something I understood," Gershkovich recalled.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down at the floor, Grandpa said, “Well, let’s see now. To begin with, you’ve been wanting a pony and a .22, haven’t you?”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
