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.
Breman might want to keep the door open to further hikes to show she’s serious about getting inflation back on target.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026
Secretly I had been keeping a lifetime of pain bottled up inside because of fear — I didn’t want to risk losing him by being too emotional or having too many feelings.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026
Lizzie O’Leary: I want to talk about the Declaration of Independence.
From Slate • Jul. 3, 2026
He's given his staff - around 100 employees across four offices in London, Coventry, Birmingham and Ipswich - permission to start at 12:00 if they want to stay up and watch the match.
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026
Well, she doesn’t want to think about that.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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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