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.
Ella earns over £30,000 but some of her friends earn more and she finds it hard to say no if they want to go somewhere a bit fancy that she can't really afford.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
Typically, investors want to put their money into profitable companies that grow over time, so the fact that SpaceX is not there yet has raised some red flags for investors.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
“I know we want every student admitted to UC to make the most of their college education. Our responsibility is to ensure that our policies and practices make that possible,” Palazoglu said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
Activist investors who want to force changes at underperforming closed-end funds take advantage of this rule by buying up a bunch of shares and then trying to change how the fund is run.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
This is an impossible choice, and I don’t want to go back on it.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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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