want

[ wont, wawnt ]

/ wɒnt, wɔnt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR want 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.

Idioms for 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

1150–1200; Middle English wante < Old Norse vanta to lack

SYNONYMS FOR want

1 require, crave.

3 need.

11 desideratum.

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

15 privation, penury, indigence.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR want ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for want

1. See wish. 3. See lack. 15. See poverty.

OTHER WORDS FROM want

want·er, noun want·less, adjective want·less·ness, noun self-want, noun

un·want·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH want

unwanted unwonted want wont

Words nearby want

wanna, wannabe, wannabee, wanne-eickel, wannish, want, want ad, want for nothing, want in, want knap, want list

Example sentences from the Web for wanted

“Jeffrey wanted me to tell you that you looked so pretty,” the female voice said into my disbelieving ear.

I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 |Vicky Ward |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Lucas answered immediately when asked why he wanted to join the NYPD.

Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown |Michael Daly |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
His wife passed away and they had kids, and he wanted to focus on being a dad so he just stopped to raise his kids.

Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness |Marlow Stern |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Our fans have seen all our sketches, so we wanted to give them something a little deeper about each character.

Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness |Marlow Stern |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST

And with the dance sequence, we wanted something very physical.

Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness |Marlow Stern |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
If I hadn't kept going when you all wanted to turn back, you mean.

The Lost Valley |J. M. Walsh
He had supposed that a rich man's son, because he was a rich man's son, always had all the money he wanted.

'As Gold in the Furnace' |John E. Copus
She wanted to run, and yet some subconscious idea restrained her.

The Camp Fire Girls in the Outside World |Margaret Vandercook
The exigencies of the solar system may make it impossible for the sun to be always there, but it should be around when wanted.

Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 156, April 30, 1919 |Various
"That will give you some time to rest, mother," said Paul, who wanted to keep back his good news for a while.

Paul the Peddler |Horatio Alger, Jr.

British Dictionary definitions for wanted (1 of 3)

wanted

/ (ˈwɒntɪd) /

adjective

being searched for by the police in connection with a crime that has been committed

British Dictionary definitions for wanted (2 of 3)

want ¹

/ (wɒnt) /

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

(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 of lying 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 of you'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 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

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 wanted (3 of 3)

want ²

/ (wɒnt) /

noun

English dialect a mole

Word Origin for want

Old English wand

Idioms and Phrases with wanted

want

In addition to the idioms beginning with want

want for nothing
want in

also see:

waste not, want not

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

want

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Idioms for want

Origin of want

SYNONYMS FOR want

synonym study for want

OTHER WORDS FROM want

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH want

Words nearby want

Example sentences from the Web for wanted

British Dictionary definitions for wanted (1 of 3)

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for wanted (2 of 3)

verb

noun

Derived forms of want

Word Origin for want

British Dictionary definitions for wanted (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for want

Idioms and Phrases with wanted

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

want

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Idioms for want

Origin of want

SYNONYMS FOR want

synonym study for want

OTHER WORDS FROM want

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH want

Words nearby want

Words related to wanted

Example sentences from the Web for wanted

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for wanted (1 of 3)

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for wanted (2 of 3)

verb

noun

Derived forms of want

Word Origin for want

British Dictionary definitions for wanted (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for want

Idioms and Phrases with wanted

British Dictionary definitions for wanted (1 of 3)