want
Usage
What are other ways to say want?
The verb want, usually colloquial in use, suggests a feeling of lack or need that imperatively demands fulfillment: People all over the world want peace. Wish implies the feeling of an impulse toward attainment or possession of something; the strength of the feeling may be of greater or lesser intensity: I wish I could go home. Desire, a more formal verb, suggests a strong wish: They desire liberation.
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.
I like making albums that are diverse — I don’t think I ever want to make a strict concept album.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
"I want you to come into the ring and give me no respect and try to do what you think you do best," Joshua replied.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
Wasiolek also noted that people still want to travel.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
“You wouldn’t want a credit rating agency to say, ‘Well, you’re not going to sell it, and so therefore I’m going to mark it to zero in my credit assessment.’”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
After all the things I’ve done to prove myself to him — to prove that I can be two people, both the me he wants and the me I want.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Vocabulary lists containing want
"A Modest Proposal," Vocabulary from the satire
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"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 3
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Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 2
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