1
as in to crave
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy
I want a new car so badly!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to need
to have as a requirement
that stray cat wants food and a clean place to sleep
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to wish
to see fit
do what you want
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to like
to wish to have
I want some ice cream for dessert, please
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in lack
the fact or state of being absent
the proverb that begins, "for want of a nail, the shoe was lost"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there's a notable want of teachers in that rural school district
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in need
a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful
those children are in want of some good discipline
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4
as in poverty
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions
grew up in extreme want
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in failing
a defect in character
she's well-meaning and kind, but her besetting want is a complete lack of tact
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of want
Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 30 July 2025
This kind of long-term sustainability is important to admissions officers, who generally want to see students’ dedication and depth of involvement over time.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 17 July 2025
Parents can encourage older kids to earn money for wants, and allow younger children to pick one item from a list of non-essentials.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for want
Verb
Grocer Albertsons wants to know the details behind former Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen’s sudden resignation in March amid an internal ethics investigation, according to a news report.
—Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 30 July 2025
This kind of long-term sustainability is important to admissions officers, who generally want to see students’ dedication and depth of involvement over time.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Noun
With so much to do this season, the best summer dresses are a need, not a want.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 17 July 2025
Parents can encourage older kids to earn money for wants, and allow younger children to pick one item from a list of non-essentials.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for want
Recent Examples of Synonyms for want
Verb
-
With Dejan Kulusevski still recovering from knee surgery, Spurs desperately crave a playmaker and Eze fits the bill perfectly.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
17 Aug. 2025
-
However, those who adopt the top-gun role are much more likely to steer their coaching company with clarity, confidence and the kind of conviction clients crave.—
Doaa K. Darwish,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Advertisement The truth is, Trump needed a deal more than Putin did.—
Richard Stengel,
Time,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Set four years after the events of the original film, Nobody 2 finds Hutch back at work as full-time assassin, mainly because a criminal organization bankrolled the $30 million Hutch needed to pay back the Russian mob after burning their gigantic stash of cash in the 2021 film.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Shoda’s possible daughter behaves in ways both desperately longing and ruinously malevolent, and her antics come to symbolize the irreconcilable urges of political activists wishing to grow a collective political vision while succumbing to internal violence driven by individual ego.—
Jake Cole,
IndieWire,
18 Aug. 2025
-
The bride-to-be also shared her wish to put on a little fashion parade on the big day by wearing not one but four dresses.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
His mother was one of the most cultured people like ever in American social history.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
-
But Reid, a former tight ends coach with the Packers, likes to employ multiple tight-end sets.—
Jeff Fedotin,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Another driver of instability is the lack of details about the trade agreements that have so far been reached.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Feeding those intrusive thoughts was a lack of precedent.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The idea for Draft One came from staffing shortages that Axon’s police department clients were facing, Isner said.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Companies are experimenting with deep-sea tech to produce cheaper fresh water From Cape Town to Tehran to Lima to Phoenix, dozens of cities across the globe have experienced water shortages recently.—
Vanessa Bates Ramirez,
Scientific American,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Nearly 1 in 3 people in Bogalusa live in poverty — 2½ times the national average.—
Fred Clasen-Kelly,
NPR,
19 Aug. 2025
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But families with very low or no taxable income—those living in poverty or living paycheck to paycheck—also urgently need other forms of support.—
Sarah Rittling,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Its digital failings look even more stark by comparison.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 Aug. 2025
-
Woodland, who had surgery in September 2023 to remove a brain tumor, remains optimistic about his future in golf despite his failing to qualify for the playoffs.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Want.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/want. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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