want 1 of 2

verb

ˈwȯnt How to pronounce want (audio)
Definition of wantnext
1
as in to crave
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy I want a new car so badly!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to need
to have as a requirement that stray cat wants food and a clean place to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to wish
to see fit do what you want

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to like
to wish to have I want some ice cream for dessert, please

Synonyms & Similar Words

want

2 of 2

noun

1
as in lack
the fact or state of being absent the proverb that begins, "for want of a nail, the shoe was lost"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number there's a notable want of teachers in that rural school district

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in need
a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful those children are in want of some good discipline

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in poverty
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions grew up in extreme want

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in failing
a defect in character she's well-meaning and kind, but her besetting want is a complete lack of tact

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb want differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of want are covet, crave, desire, and wish. While all these words mean "to have a longing for," want specifically suggests a felt need or lack.

wants to have a family

When is it sensible to use covet instead of want?

While the synonyms covet and want are close in meaning, covet implies strong envious desire.

covets his rise to fame

When is crave a more appropriate choice than want?

In some situations, the words crave and want are roughly equivalent. However, crave stresses the force of physical appetite or emotional need.

craves sweets

When might desire be a better fit than want?

Although the words desire and want have much in common, desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim.

desires to start a new life

In what contexts can wish take the place of want?

The words wish and want can be used in similar contexts, but wish sometimes implies a general or transient longing especially for the unattainable.

wishes for permanent world peace

How does the verb want differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of want are covet, crave, desire, and wish. While all these words mean "to have a longing for," want specifically suggests a felt need or lack.

wants to have a family

When is it sensible to use covet instead of want?

While the synonyms covet and want are close in meaning, covet implies strong envious desire.

covets his rise to fame

When is crave a more appropriate choice than want?

In some situations, the words crave and want are roughly equivalent. However, crave stresses the force of physical appetite or emotional need.

craves sweets

When might desire be a better fit than want?

Although the words desire and want have much in common, desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim.

desires to start a new life

In what contexts can wish take the place of want?

The words wish and want can be used in similar contexts, but wish sometimes implies a general or transient longing especially for the unattainable.

wishes for permanent world peace

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of want
Verb
The bill, shared first with Semafor, comes amid Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Mike Selig’s argument in courts across the country that his agency should regulate the markets as derivatives exchanges, taking authority from states that want to treat them like casinos. —Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026 Coming out of the pandemic, people want experiences that connect them with friends, family and the surrounding environment, whether through storytelling or an immersive experience, Bywater said during a 15-minute Zoom call on Wednesday with The Charlotte Observer. —Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Your current spending should align with your needs more than your wants at this moment. —Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026 November 22 – December 21 Your current spending should align with your needs more than your wants at this moment. —Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for want
Recent Examples of Synonyms for want
  1. crave
  2. need
  3. wish
  4. like
  5. lack
  6. shortage
  7. poverty
  8. failing
Verb
  • The Ravens went into this draft with obvious needs — interior offensive linemen, pass-catching targets and edge rusher being the most glaring — but what DeCosta craved most of all was a return to the team’s hard-nosed roots.
    — Michael Silver, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The nontraditional scoring method being used at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic has created the sort of turmoil on the leaderboard that the organizers craved to set it apart.
    — Stan Awtrey, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Definition of crave
Verb
  • Step back, decide what needs to be said, and deliver it once with clarity and control.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The Stars need more of that mindset at five-on-five.
    — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of need
Verb
  • When Beijing wishes to shape the outcome of a transaction, signal displeasure, or slow the advance of foreign competitors in strategic sectors, antitrust enforcement has proven an effective tool.
    — Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
  • There’s an Observatory for those wishing to stargaze (beautiful), and there is also The Den—a fun space for children to play and enjoy their visit (think Lego room, fancy dress, giant keyboard).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Definition of wish
Verb
  • His mom likes another young lady for her son, not my daughter.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Knicks head coach Mike Brown likes to carry an iPad with him.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of like
Noun
  • Goldman Sachs estimated that Qatar could see its GDP plunge by 14%, citing its lack of alternative export channels to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
    — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • This Fire sign is, after all, notorious for its lack of a filter… and the 24-year-old singer just so happens to have her sun, Venus and Pluto here.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of lack
Noun
  • That means there will be no shortage of motivation in these final weeks, and their key players should continue to play every minute despite their run to the semi-finals of the Europa League.
    — Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • That’s just one example of what more than three decades of chronic school funding shortages under Colorado’s decades-old spending cap has led to.
    — Kevin Vick, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Definition of shortage
Noun
  • The United Nations Development Programme reports that higher energy prices, disrupted food systems, and economic slowdowns triggered by the war could push up to thirty-two million people globally into poverty.
    — Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The art world has been in a recession for 15 years, galleries are closing, young collectors are holding back, and artists trying to make it in the major market centers are living on the brink of poverty.
    — Magnus Resch, ARTnews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of poverty
Noun
  • Dombrowski, like Breslow, is more responsible than his manager for the failings of his club, which ended its 10-game losing streak on Saturday night but still is worse off than the Red Sox at 9-18.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Now it had been relegated again to a leftist cause, a symbol of anti-imperial resistance for some and the face of communism’s failings for others.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Definition of failing

Browse Nearby Words

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want
wanted
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Cite this Entry

“Want.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/want. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of want for Spanish Speakers

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