want 1 of 2

1
2
3
4

want

2 of 2

noun

1
2
3
4
5

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

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
Yurithsi, 19, recalled wanting to sleep in her parents’ bedroom the night of their detention. Maria Santana, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025 Pignato shared a scene from a recent consult with a rival company that wanted advice on how to bring AI into its engineering workflow, and an awkward generational mismatch. Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
Themes of beauty and harmony are top of mind, and your home is mirroring your wants and needs. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025 The success of the first year’s program proved there is both a tremendous want and a need for this event. Clayton Davis, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for want
Recent Examples of Synonyms for want
Verb
  • For sports fans craving game-day camaraderie, fall and winter are ideal, when Syracuse football fills the Dome with Orange pride and basketball season brings the city’s most electric crowds from November through March.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Such a setup would surely bring the sort of balance every manager craves, especially with Kabore and the fit-again Cacace capable of getting at an Oxford side who will arrive at the SToK Cae Ras one point and one place behind Wrexham in the table.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the late 18th century, Paris’s existing cemeteries were causing public health problems, and the remains of more than six million people needed to be moved.
    Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
  • But other senior officials defended the decision, arguing that Latin America’s biggest economy needs to shore up its energy independence amid global economic uncertainty, and that Brazil should only transition away from fossil fuels as part of wider international efforts.
    Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • O'Connor wished Manganiello a happy birthday in December.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
  • In the comment section, many people wished Mia a happy birthday.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • With the sugar adaptations, many people like to utilize these in stews, breads, roasted, or raw.
    Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Some people like to keep their landscape and gardens clean and free of yard debris.
    Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Other issues brought up at the meeting included ongoing construction, public safety and a lack of sufficient workforce housing.
    Mars King, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
  • D’Alleva Valas said the biggest barrier for women, though, isn’t a lack of knowledge.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But as Kimmel shared with Danson, 77, things weren't easy in the beginning due to a shortage of star power.
    Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
  • However, the number of foreign residents has risen sharply in recent years, reaching a record 3 percent of the population in 2024, as Tokyo cautiously loosened visa requirements for workers in key industries facing labor shortages amid a declining birth rate and aging workforce.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Nardal’s articles also grappled with other pressing issues of the day, including violence and poverty.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Arrivals of asylum-seekers and other migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa for Europe over the past decade helped fuel rising far-right populism and led to stricter border controls that have drawn heavy criticism from human rights groups.
    Sam McNeil, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • As was Matthiessen’s self-awareness about his own moral failings.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
  • So [in the film], there’s this sort of notion that, if a movie star kind of represents us in all our failings and humanity, what does that mean exactly?
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Want.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/want. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on want

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!