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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Devonne Goode, Parents, 19 Mar. 2025
Zelenskyy has expressed skepticism toward the idea that Putin wants peace.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2025
Nathan Levinson, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
That leaves 10 percent of your income for wants, including travel, or for additional savings.
—Meagan Drillinger, AFAR Media, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for want
Verb
Mom says now his children only want to come over on the weekends after their dad gets home.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 19 Mar. 2025
Zelenskyy has expressed skepticism toward the idea that Putin wants peace.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
Smart Technology And Green Building Practices Smart home technology is becoming more of a need than a want.
—Nathan Levinson, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
That leaves 10 percent of your income for wants, including travel, or for additional savings.
—Meagan Drillinger, AFAR Media, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for want
Recent Examples of Synonyms for want
Verb
-
And who’s not craving some good-versus-evil stuff right now?—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
-
This high-paying job offers the intellectual stimulation introverts often crave, with projects that require sustained focus rather than constant collaboration.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
To reach that million-dollar threshold, an artist would need to have around four to five million monthly listeners, or 20 million to 25 million monthly streams.—
CJ Haddad,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2025
-
More importantly, agencies need to help clients bridge their own internal gaps.—
Orla Murphy,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
And after West Side Story and Shazam, Zegler and her bob are probably wishing on that well for a movie with a non-problematic co-star.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Anyone wishing to donate to Swiantek’s family can do so at ourcommunityheros.org.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Over 309,000 users liked the post and over 3,400 commented.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The heaviest bend would have come immediately after the hook set, which never occurs (maybe Quint liked circle hooks).—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
And his lack of pace is why Dawson was omitted from the club’s 25-man Premier League squad at the end of the winter transfer window, albeit the former West Ham United favourite is still on the payroll with no agreement yet in place to bring a contract that expires in June to an early end.—
Steve Madeley,
The Athletic,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Frustrated with a lack of fans at the neutral sites for four regionals, in 2023 the NCAA went to two regional locations.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In 2024, China experienced a complex situation with AI chips: overcapacity in some areas, while simultaneously facing shortages in high-quality compute needed for advanced AI development.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Some states are reviving older methods of capital punishment due to drug shortages, even as other states reconsider them entirely.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Education means an end to hunger and an end to poverty.—
UNICEF USA,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Experts say such migrants were escaping political unrest, gang violence, weather disasters caused by climate change and extreme poverty.—
Russell Contreras,
Axios,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In recent weeks, the corporation has published two reviews into the historical behavior of presenters Russell Brand and Tim Westwood, both of which revealed failings in BBC processes around complaints handling.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Thankfully, this phone makes up for these failings with a slightly better software update policy.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Want.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/want. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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