ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Want

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /wɒnt/ · Part of speech verb

Quick meaning: Want is a verb meaning (transitive) To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave, hanker, or demand.

Meaning

(transitive) To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave, hanker, or demand.

More Meanings

  1. (transitive, in particular) To wish, desire, or demand to see, have the presence of or do business with.
  2. (intransitive) To desire (to experience desire); to wish.
  3. (colloquial, usually second person, often future tense) To be advised to do something (compare should, ought).
  4. (transitive, now colloquial) To lack and be in need of or require (something, such as a noun or verbal noun).
  5. (transitive, now rare) To have occasion for (something requisite or useful); to require or need.
  6. (intransitive, dated) To be lacking or deficient or absent.
  7. (intransitive, dated) To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.

Example Sentences

I want you as a friend, not a foe.
Danish police want him for embezzlement.
But now it's different, if the police want him for murder.
Ma’am, you are exactly the professional we want for this job.

Word Forms

Synonyms for want

Depending on context, synonyms include lack, need, ache, appetize, aspire, covet.

Antonyms for want

Common opposites include dislike, hate.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include desire, wish, wishing, need, require, deprivation.

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Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.