1
as in to crave
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy
I want a new car so badly!
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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
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3
as in to wish
to see fit
do what you want
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4
as in to like
to wish to have
I want some ice cream for dessert, please
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1
as in lack
the fact or state of being absent
the proverb that begins, "for want of a nail, the shoe was lost"
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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
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3
as in need
a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful
those children are in want of some good discipline
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4
as in poverty
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions
grew up in extreme want
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5
as in failing
a defect in character
she's well-meaning and kind, but her besetting want is a complete lack of tact
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of want
Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
Some students are more interested in applying to smaller companies, including those who want to go into arts and design, communications and computer science.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
Tess Murphy and Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2024
About 43% want year-round standard time, 32% want permanent daylight saving time and 25% want to stick with the status quo, an October 2021 Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found.
—Joey Garrison, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for want 
Verb
Read Next National Shelter wanted ‘sweet’ dog sisters to be adopted together.
—Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
Some students are more interested in applying to smaller companies, including those who want to go into arts and design, communications and computer science.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
And making a decision based on your wants and needs, instead of what society and your biology tells you, is important.
—Tess Murphy and Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2024
About 43% want year-round standard time, 32% want permanent daylight saving time and 25% want to stick with the status quo, an October 2021 Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found.
—Joey Garrison, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for want
Recent Examples of Synonyms for want
Verb
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Domino's Some will be craving a pizza on New Year's Day, and Domino's is open for delivery to meet that demand.Suzanne Blake, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
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Americans crave the prospect of healing, renewing, fulfilling the best in our national ideals.James Fallows, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2024
Verb
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As Los Angeles continues to face ongoing wildfires across the county, residents will need to remain vigilant over the weekend as high winds are expected to pick up again, per the National Weather Service.Charna Flam, People.com, 11 Jan. 2025
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Observing the comet with the naked eye in the southern hemisphere might be possible, but binoculars or a telescope might be needed.Marta Musso, WIRED, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Research on Caucasian women in the Midwest shows that women in the workplace often face envious and negative communication from other women who wish to undermine their success.Mark Travers, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
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Sharing family photos from celebrations with her husband and kids, the mom of three shared her gratitude for another year of life and well wishes from friends and fans alike.Angela Andaloro, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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And in this case, Concord’s cinematic trailer was vastly underwater with 7.6K likes to 41K dislikes.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
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The press reported that Bashar liked Phil Collins, the British rock star, and the Electric Light Orchestra, a British group.Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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How much longer will a lack of spending and a corresponding lack of playoff success continue?Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
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For many, this has translated to a lack of use of AI, with 45% of companies saying that their data is not yet ready to support AI.Kimberly A. Whitler, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The history makes clear that looming mineral shortages ought not be a cause for concern.Duncan Money / Made by History, TIME, 8 Jan. 2025
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In the last few months of Bates’ predecessor Marilyn Mosby’s time in office, there were staffing shortages.Mikenzie Frost, Baltimore Sun, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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At the same time, eight in 10 Indians live in poverty.Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025
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Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics, Author, and Philosopher The biggest reason to be optimistic about 2025 is the continuing decline in extreme poverty, defined as not being able to reliably meet your basic needs for food and shelter.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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One of the worst failings of a manager entails asking for feedback and then entirely ignoring it.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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But the ultimate failings of each of these franchises can be traced directly to dreadful decisions from above.Mike Jones, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near want
Cite this Entry
“Want.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/want. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.
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