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Definitions

want

[wont, wawnt] / wɒnt, wɔnt /
NOUN
desire
Synonyms
STRONGEST
need wish
STRONG
appetite craving demand fancy hankering hunger longing necessity requirement thirst yearning yen
Antonyms
STRONG
dislike distaste hate hatred indifference
WEAK
abundance disinterest plenty
NOUN
lack, need
Synonyms
STRONG
absence dearth default defect deficiency destitution exigency famine impecuniousness impoverishment inadequacy indigence insufficiency meagerness neediness paucity pauperism penury poorness poverty privation scantiness scarcity shortage
WEAK
exiguousness skimpiness
Antonyms
STRONG
abundance adequacy advantage affluence enough excess perfection plenty satisfaction sufficiency wealth
WEAK
disinterest dislike hate
VERB
desire
Synonyms
STRONGEST
choose crave need prefer require wish
STRONG
ache aspire covet fancy hanker hunger long lust pine thirst yearn
WEAK
be greedy could do with desiderate feel a need have a passion for have a yen for have ambition have an urge for have eyes for incline toward itch for spoil for
Antonyms
STRONGEST
dislike hate have not want spurn
STRONG
despise
VERB
lack, need
Synonyms
STRONGEST
call for demand require
STRONG
miss starve
WEAK
be deficient be deprived of be found wanting be insufficient be poor be short of be without fall short in have need of stand in need of
Antonyms
WEAK
despise dislike hate have

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.

"If they want to initiate extradition proceedings, by all means," he added, calling extradition cases in US courts "a demanding procedure".

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

Creditors want to be compensated for that risk.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

“She has the kind of consistency that anyone would want in a maternal figure. You know what to expect from her.”

From Salon • May 10, 2026

"I want to reiterate that no hate crime, no matter who it is against, will be tolerated. It is completely unacceptable and has no place here."

From BBC • May 10, 2026

“What? You don’t want to stay home with me?”

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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