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.
“We want people to know about what goes on in Mexico,” said Héctor Flores, co-founder of Light of Hope, whose volunteers uncovered a human skull in a Zapopan ravine last week.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
“We want a deal that’s meaningful, we want a deal that works.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
"Our main question is: why wasn't a search initiated right after he got trapped? We want to know why there was such negligence."
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
If you want tickets to Christopher Nolan’s epic ‘The Odyssey,’ you’ll need to get in line.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
“You don’t want you or Midnight to overheat.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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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