want

¹want

verb \ˈwȯnt also ˈwänt & ˈwənt\

Definition of WANT

intransitive verb

1

: to be needy or destitute

2

: to have or feel need <never wants for friends>

3

: to be necessary or needed

4

: to desire to come, go, or be <the cat wants in> <wants out of the deal>

transitive verb

1

: to fail to possess especially in customary or required amount : lack <the answer wanted courtesy>

2

a : to have a strong desire for <wanted a chance to rest>

b : to have an inclination to : like <say what you want, he is efficient>

3

a : to have need of : require <the motor wants a tune-up>

b : to suffer from the lack of <thousands still want food and shelter>

4

: ought —used with the infinitive <you want to be very careful what you say — Claudia Cassidy>

5

: to wish or demand the presence of

6

: to hunt or seek in order to apprehend <wanted for murder>

Examples of WANT

1. Do you want more coffee?
2. He wants a bicycle for his birthday.
3. I just wanted a chance to rest.
4. She wanted more time to finish the test.
5. Do you want anything from the store?
6. What do you want for Christmas?
7. You can choose whichever color you want.
8. The motor wants a tune-up.
9. Thousands of poor people still want food and shelter.
10. Tell him that the teacher wants him.

Origin of WANT

Middle English, from Old Norse vanta; akin to Old English wan deficient

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to WANT

Synonyms

ache (for), covet, crave, desiderate, die (for), hanker (for or after), hunger (for), itch (for), jones (for) [slang], long (for), lust (for or after), pant (after), pine (for), repine (for), salivate (for), sigh (for), thirst (for), desire, wish (for), yearn (for), yen (for)

Antonyms

have, hold

Related Words

spoil (for); adore, delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), like, love, relish, revel (in); favor, prefer; admire, appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value

Near Antonyms

abhor, abominate, despise, detest, execrate, hate, loathe; decline, refuse, reject, spurn

See Synonym Discussion at desire

Rhymes with WANT

blunt, brunt, bunt, front, grunt, hunt, Lunt, punt, runt, shunt, strunt, stunt, wont

²want

noun

Definition of WANT

1

a : deficiency, lack <suffers from a want of good sense>

b : grave and extreme poverty that deprives one of the necessities of life

2

: something wanted : need, desire

3

: personal defect : fault

Examples of WANT

1. His attitude shows a want of proper respect.
2. He is suffering from want of adequate sleep.
3. people who are living in want

First Known Use of WANT

13th century

Related to WANT

Synonyms

absence, dearth, lack

Antonyms

presence

Related Words

deficiency, deficit, failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, meagerness, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scantness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, skimpiness, undersupply; deprivation, loss, necessity, need, needfulness, omission; privation; blankness, emptiness, vacuity, vacuum, void

Near Antonyms

abundance, amplitude, bounty, plenitude, plenteousness, plentifulness, plentitude, plenty, wealth; adequacy, sufficiency; excess, overabundance, oversupply, superabundance, surfeit, surplus; deluge, flood; bushel, deal, gobs, heap, loads, lot, mass, mountain, much, oodles, peck, pile, pot, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, volume, wad; fund, pool, stock, supply; cache, hoard, stash, stockpile

See Synonym Discussion at poverty

Rhymes with WANT

aunt, daunt, flaunt, font, fount, gaunt, taunt, vaunt, wont