Synonyms of wanting

wanting 1 of 3

adjective

ˈwän-tiŋ 

1

as in wrong

falling short of a standard

we tried her cooking and found it to be very wanting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wrong
• unacceptable
• poor
• lame
• bad
• deficient
• lacking
• off
• flawed
• ill
• horrible
• pathetic
• terrible
• disastrous
• bastard
• awful
• from hunger
• sour
• unsatisfactory
• inferior
• wretched
• suboptimal
• bush
• crummy
• substandard
• brutal
• inadequate
• punk
• dreadful
• insufficient
• subpar
• lousy
• short
• wack
• dissatisfactory
• defective
• rotten
• paltry
• useless
• below par
• miserable
• worthless
• gross
• bum
• lesser
• detestable
• deplorable
• spare
• common
• unspeakable
• stinky
• faulty
• damnable
• bush-league
• mean
• atrocious
• abysmal
• crappy
• sucky
• flagrant
• mediocre
• vile
• shoddy
• gnarly
• horrendous
• egregious
• low-grade
• abominable
• trashy
• cheesy
• low-rent
• scanty
• bitchin'
• fake
• execrable
• skimpy
• reprehensible
• shabby
• second-rate
• stingy
• coarse
• sleazy
• valueless
• junky
• odious
• miserly
• meager
• skimp
• cut-rate
• counterfeit
• scurrilous
• phony
• rubbishy
• sham
• villainous
• miscreant

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adequate
• satisfactory
• acceptable
• standard
• all right
• fine
• decent
• great
• OK
• perfect
• keen
• better
• classical
• sufficient
• excellent
• respectable
• choice
• tolerable
• classic
• mean
• prime
• wonderful
• special
• passable
• superior
• top
• divine
• splendid
• neat
• grand
• fancy
• par excellence
• terrific
• superb
• banner
• noble
• sensational
• marvelous
• first-class
• swell
• premium
• fabulous
• heavenly
• slick
• boss
• unsurpassed
• superlative
• exceptional
• average
• sterling
• stellar
• capital
• dandy
• suitable
• minimal
• useful
• worthy
• nifty
• A1
• fair
• high-grade
• mediocre
• first-rate
• borderline
• middling
• top-notch
• groovy
• satisfying
• bang-up
• gratifying
• tip-top
• high-test
• supernal
• crackerjack
• jim-dandy
• so-so
• unexceptional

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

• lacking
• insufficient
• low
• scarce
• inadequate
• short
• shy
• deficient
• unacceptable
• lean
• spare
• unsatisfactory
• poor
• sparse
• scant
• substandard
• minimum
• small
• scanty
• light
• skimpy
• stingy
• bare
• mere
• skimp
• meager
• slender
• slight
• slim
• hand-to-mouth

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enough
• sufficient
• adequate
• ample
• generous
• liberal
• abundant
• plentiful
• copious
• bountiful
• enlarged
• bounteous
• expanded
• satisfactory
• plenteous
• supplemented
• overflowing
• large
• plenitudinous
• rich
• considerable
• tolerable
• substantial
• lavish
• big
• sizable
• teeming
• super
• abounding
• jumbo
• hefty
• luxuriant
• oversize
• largish
• king-size

3

as in absent

not present or in evidence

grass is almost entirely wanting in that arid wasteland

Synonyms & Similar Words

• absent
• lacking
• missing
• lost
• extinct
• nonexistent
• vanished
• done
• over
• departed
• insufficient
• inadequate
• finished
• expired
• obsolete
• sparse
• dead
• scarce
• perished
• rare
• defunct
• lapsed
• uncommon
• passé

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• present
• active
• alive
• going
• current
• living
• existent
• thriving
• prevailing
• common
• animate
• prevalent
• obvious
• apparent
• evident
• plain
• conspicuous
• uncanceled

wanting

2 of 3

preposition

as in without

not having

a mitten wanting its mate

Synonyms & Similar Words

• without
• absent
• sans
• minus

wanting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of want

1

as in craving

to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy

I want a new car so badly!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• craving
• desiring
• enjoying
• dying (for)
• coveting
• preferring
• wishing (for)
• loving
• liking
• yearning (for)
• itching (for)
• panting (after)
• longing (for)
• sighing (for)
• hankering (for or after)
• hungering (for)
• thirsting (for)
• pining (for)
• lusting (for or after)
• aching (for)
• salivating (for)
• repining (for)
• desiderating
• admiring
• jonesing (for)
• relishing
• setting one's heart on
• yenning (for)
• fancying
• spoiling (for)
• digging
• valuing
• grooving (on)
• favoring
• appreciating
• adoring
• delighting (in)
• reveling (in)
• cherishing
• treasuring
• prizing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hating
• despising
• refusing
• loathing
• detesting
• abhorring
• rejecting
• declining
• execrating
• abominating
• spurning

2

as in needing

to have as a requirement

that stray cat wants food and a clean place to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

• needing
• requiring
• taking
• demanding
• involving
• claiming
• necessitating
• challenging
• calling for
• warranting
• asking
• begging
• bearing
• lacking
• insisting
• entailing
• crying (for)
• hurting (for)
• clamoring (for)
• enjoining
• pressing
• commanding
• stipulating
• questing
• exacting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• having
• holding
• possessing
• owning

3

as in wishing

to see fit

do what you want

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wishing
• pleasing
• choosing
• liking
• desiring
• willing
• craving
• fancying
• dying (for)
• coveting
• yearning (for)
• itching (for)
• panting (after)
• longing (for)
• sighing (for)
• aching (for)
• thirsting (for)
• pining (for)
• hungering (for)
• hankering (for)
• deciding
• resolving
• lusting (for or after)
• repining (for)
• determining

4

as in liking

to wish to have

I want some ice cream for dessert, please

Synonyms & Similar Words

• liking
• enjoying
• loving
• feeling like
• desiring
• welcoming
• caring (for)
• fancying
• craving
• relishing
• digging
• dying (for)
• wishing (for)
• yearning (for)
• delighting (in)
• grooving (on)
• reveling (in)
• coveting
• adoring
• hankering (for or after)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wanting

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

For many of us, those concerns are rooted in wanting to provide for our families, caring for our aging parents and giving our children a better future. — Jose M. Muñoz, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026

Shane talks about wanting to help his family financially after the death of his sister. — Alice Burton, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026

But most importantly for those wanting the full Aussie experience, Taverner recommends taking a step back and slowing down. — Irene Kim, Vogue, 6 Nov. 2026

And, wanting to focus entirely on the job at hand during the postseason, Bates left negotiations up to his agent, Zack Scott. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

Damn her for extending love while wanting to keep little girls safe! — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Sheeran argued that the decision to remove Macklemore as an opener, backed by the venues and promoters, came down to not wanting to disappoint fans or impact the other people working on the tour by cancelling. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2026

The young resent the old to the point of wanting to harm them. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026

What happens here is beyond the reach of rubbernecking pundits or home sleuths wanting a hot take for their socials. — Luke Jones, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026