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
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
But, pulling from his own experience growing up at a well-to-do London school, Froushan tapped into that same sense of wanting to be like everyone else.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
The Beauty does have another character who more explicitly represents the trans experience, but this whole story line feels like the series wanting to take on gender-affirming care for teens without being quite sure what to say about it.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel good.
—Dr. Deepika Chopra, Flow Space, 10 Mar. 2026
For those wanting to take Black Pearl for a spin outside of their screens, Black Pearl is available for charter starting from $850,000 per week.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2026
So far, there is no consensus, with some wanting to use a talking filibuster to pass the voting bill and others strongly against.
—Lisa Mascaro, Twin Cities, 10 Mar. 2026
Others are simply wanting more information as design plans come together.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
So feeling good, but wanting to feel even better.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 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
Obviously there are risks with all kinds of energy imports, and some European leaders have been vocal about not wanting to replace reliance on Russian or even US fossil fuels with dependence on Chinese clean tech.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
But, pulling from his own experience growing up at a well-to-do London school, Froushan tapped into that same sense of wanting to be like everyone else.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
The Beauty does have another character who more explicitly represents the trans experience, but this whole story line feels like the series wanting to take on gender-affirming care for teens without being quite sure what to say about it.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel good.
—Dr. Deepika Chopra, Flow Space, 10 Mar. 2026
For those wanting to take Black Pearl for a spin outside of their screens, Black Pearl is available for charter starting from $850,000 per week.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2026
So far, there is no consensus, with some wanting to use a talking filibuster to pass the voting bill and others strongly against.
—Lisa Mascaro, Twin Cities, 10 Mar. 2026
Others are simply wanting more information as design plans come together.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
So feeling good, but wanting to feel even better.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanting
Adjective
-
The helpful staff won’t steer you wrong.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
-
An officer monitoring a vehicle X-ray machine did not detect anything wrong with the vehicle, but another officer doing a physical inspection spotted the woman’s foot, according to the complaint.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Financial vulnerability in Cook County has declined modestly since 2022, with fewer households reporting having less than a week of savings and fewer lacking confidence in reaching long-term goals.—
Jennifer Tescher,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
-
And don’t give me the lacking pass protection nonsense.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Add in Paul Mescal's solid turn as an absent Bard dad who deals with the loss in his own way, plus a cathartic final act, and director Chloé Zhao's gut-wrenching historical drama has a good chance of placing high on a lot of Oscar voters' lists.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In another timeline where none of Puerto Rico’s stars were absent from the tournament, Darell Hernaiz would be in Arizona, sharpening his skills in spring training with the Athletics.—
Maria Torres,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Preposition
-
The rules also permit Chinese companies to acquire up to 10% stake in Indian businesses without seeking New Delhi's approval.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Each room has a small hatch near the entrance—a dumbwaiter-like compartment where staff can leave deliveries or collect items without disturbing you.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, leaving the island came with serious risk for players craving the opportunity to showcase their talent on baseball’s biggest stage.—
Tyler Carmona,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Planted next to a moisture-craving plant like cucumbers can cause the plants to compete for moisture and nutrients.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With Australia needing one run to advance, Chris Burke walked with one out in the bottom half and Lee robbed Rixon Wingrove of an extra-base hit with a sliding, backhand catch in the right-center gap.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Plus, in the workplace, a cooperative team all using coordinating methods is a great way to improve your results without needing a ton more effort.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz got right to work during the offseason, not wishing to wait until the last minute to begin signing free agents.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Iranian authorities have to give explicit approval to foreign media organizations wishing to report outside Tehran.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The textile strap can be adjusted to your exact liking on each foot, since the fabric is completely permeable.—
Anna Popp,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Minaj’s Saturday post had significant reach on the X platform, with 14,000-plus comments and more than 117,000 users liking it as of Monday afternoon.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanting. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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