want

[ wont, wawnt ]

/ wɒnt, wɔnt /

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.

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

British Dictionary definitions for want in (1 of 2)

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 want in (2 of 2)

want ²

/ (wɒnt) /

noun

English dialect a mole

Word Origin for want

Old English wand

Idioms and Phrases with want in (1 of 2)

want in

Desire to enter, as in The cat wants in. The antonym is want out, as in The dog wants out. [First half of 1800s]

Wish to join a business, project, or other undertaking, as in Some investors want in but have not yet been admitted. Again, the antonym is want out, as in Many Quebec residents want out of Canada. [Mid-1900s]

Idioms and Phrases with want in (2 of 2)

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

British Dictionary definitions for want in (1 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of want

Word Origin for want

British Dictionary definitions for want in (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for want

Idioms and Phrases with want in (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with want in (2 of 2)

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

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for want in (1 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of want

Word Origin for want

British Dictionary definitions for want in (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for want

Idioms and Phrases with want in (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with want in (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for want in (1 of 2)