1
as in wrong
falling short of a standard
we tried her cooking and found it to be very wanting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
at this time of year food for many wild animals is wanting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in absent
not present or in evidence
grass is almost entirely wanting in that arid wasteland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in craving
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy
I want a new car so badly!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in needing
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 wishing
to see fit
do what you want
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in liking
to wish to have
I want some ice cream for dessert, please
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wanting
Susan Dominus Susan Dominus Photographs By Luis Alberto Rodriguez Styled By Charlotte Collet Nick Haramis Photographs By Lise Sarfati Styled By Suzanne Koller Sasha Weiss Photographs By Justin French Adam Bradley Photographs By D’angelo Lovell Williams Styled By Ian Bradley, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2022
Maybe our poor and wanting selves are our only authentic ones, and all others performances of convenience or necessity.
—Rafia Zakaria, The New Republic, 5 May 2022
Don’t let your husband convince you that being needy and wanting affection are the same thing.
—Annie Lane, oregonlive, 19 Nov. 2021
Lucero really has nowhere else to go but up after a subpar performance against a wanting pass defense and has the talent and poise to lead the offense in Tyler Johnston’s absence.
—Evan Dudley, al, 29 Oct. 2020
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
Or have been found wanting in some way.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Things could get tricky with Sorsby wanting to enter the NFL; the league could let Sorsby enter but with strings, and maybe a suspension, attached.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 June 2026
There’s [also] a great desire for socialization, so a lot of people are wanting to entertain again.
—Mary Holland, Architectural Digest, 16 June 2026
And Jake Schreier has such a clear vision in terms of wanting to get back to character first, and to what is exciting about those early [Chris] Claremont-run comics, which was all about team dynamics.
—Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 16 June 2026
That will be their response made utterly weak by the fact these haters live here and don't show any signs of wanting to leave.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
And Burt stepped over the line, wanting to get in the way of my work.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Suzuki is a young beatnik of Greenwich Village, a moral, sharp-witted kid wanting a place where children can be taken seriously, free to manage their own affairs.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Adjective
Verdon demanded much of herself and of others, in her relationships, in her work, and Williams captured that hunger, along with the vulnerability that so much wanting lays bare.
—Susan Dominus Susan Dominus Photographs By Luis Alberto Rodriguez Styled By Charlotte Collet Nick Haramis Photographs By Lise Sarfati Styled By Suzanne Koller Sasha Weiss Photographs By Justin French Adam Bradley Photographs By D’angelo Lovell Williams Styled By Ian Bradley, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2022
Maybe our poor and wanting selves are our only authentic ones, and all others performances of convenience or necessity.
—Rafia Zakaria, The New Republic, 5 May 2022
Don’t let your husband convince you that being needy and wanting affection are the same thing.
—Annie Lane, oregonlive, 19 Nov. 2021
Lucero really has nowhere else to go but up after a subpar performance against a wanting pass defense and has the talent and poise to lead the offense in Tyler Johnston’s absence.
—Evan Dudley, al, 29 Oct. 2020
Verb
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Haiti on Tuesday wanting to deliver a message of reassurance to the Haitian people amid surging gang violence, rising displacement and deepening hunger.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
Or have been found wanting in some way.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Things could get tricky with Sorsby wanting to enter the NFL; the league could let Sorsby enter but with strings, and maybe a suspension, attached.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 June 2026
There’s [also] a great desire for socialization, so a lot of people are wanting to entertain again.
—Mary Holland, Architectural Digest, 16 June 2026
And Jake Schreier has such a clear vision in terms of wanting to get back to character first, and to what is exciting about those early [Chris] Claremont-run comics, which was all about team dynamics.
—Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 16 June 2026
That will be their response made utterly weak by the fact these haters live here and don't show any signs of wanting to leave.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
And Burt stepped over the line, wanting to get in the way of my work.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Suzuki is a young beatnik of Greenwich Village, a moral, sharp-witted kid wanting a place where children can be taken seriously, free to manage their own affairs.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanting
Adjective
-
But the truth may be that Anthropic is wrong about Mythos’ dangers, and that the government is taking a drastic action that could potentially hurt the US in the technology race with China.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
13 June 2026
-
But it was soon revealed that the actors were given the wrong envelope by accountants from Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the firm charged with counting Oscar votes, keeping the results secret and organizing and handing out envelopes to presenters.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Of those lacking space, dozens of schools have a solution in place — such as an annex that’s already planned, a capital project that’s already sited, or excess space in a building with several schools that can be reallocated — according to the plan.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
-
Coaches and teammates have struggled to remain in contact with him, and AIyuk’s rare social media posts have been both cryptic and lacking clues about his football ambitions.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
This comes after Scott was notably absent from the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of the top 50 donors of the year.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
14 June 2026
-
Performances are scheduled throughout June and July, giving both residents and World Cup visitors opportunities to experience a story that remains largely absent from mainstream history books.—
J.M. Banks
June 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Preposition
-
Then there is the strategy, executed without the million-dollar budget that comes with studio backing.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
17 June 2026
-
And without Burnham’s presence, no Labour leadership race can really materialize despite seven ministers resigning from Starmer’s government since a drubbing for the party in May’s local elections, which do not affect the national government but provide an important indication of the public’s mood.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
What’s unclear is whether soccer superfans from Argentina will show up in droves, craving choripan and milanesa.—
Jenna Thompson
June 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
But there are a few key games those of us already craving for football can’t wait to see.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Since August 2024, six Americans were hospitalized with injuries due to jet ski accidents, with three needing emergency medical evacuations to the United States, according to the security alert.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
Future legislative assemblies would be able to raise taxes without needing voter approval, so long as it is offset by decreasing the income tax.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump continued ranting as Welker tried to fit in more questions about the weaponization fund, but the president said he was done with the interview, thanking Welker for the time and wishing her a good day before walking away.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
7 June 2026
-
In fact, we were not involved in this one, even though Cannes was naturally chosen as a sounding board, because this is where the debate would receive strong attention — Cannes always offers an exceptional platform to those wishing to bring an issue into the public sphere.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Trysta Krick and Jay Croucher discuss the World Cup odds for best player of the tournament, and Croucher shares his reasoning behind liking France's Kylian Mbappé (+900) best for the award.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
Not liking acting as a child came from feeling a lack of autonomy in my decisions and creativity.—
Marcel Ruiz,
IndieWire,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanting. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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