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
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
In the report’s telling, by September 2028, investors have collectively stopped wanting to buy American debt at prevailing yields.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
All those big companies from all elements of healthcare have reached out wanting to work with us.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Whereas Schafer was a polemicist, wanting to impose his ideas onto society, Lockwood is interested in a personal symbiosis with nature, beginning with the humble belief that one is open to change.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
His previous comments to Jon Gruden about not wanting an agent to get a percentage of his deals were in reference to his college career -- not his NFL representation.
—Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
An insulated delivery bag or backpack Notably, where freelancers wanting to deliver with a car also need auto insurance and a driver’s license, these requirements are waived for those delivering on two wheels.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
At that time, the other co-founders were sincerely questioning both Musk and Altman’s motivations for wanting to become OpenAI’s CEO.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
The book picks up after Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) have been together for 10 years, with the latter wanting to go public with their relationship.
—Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 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
The village wanting to put its electrical and cable lines underground brought the total to a hefty $90 million.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
In the report’s telling, by September 2028, investors have collectively stopped wanting to buy American debt at prevailing yields.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
All those big companies from all elements of healthcare have reached out wanting to work with us.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Whereas Schafer was a polemicist, wanting to impose his ideas onto society, Lockwood is interested in a personal symbiosis with nature, beginning with the humble belief that one is open to change.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
His previous comments to Jon Gruden about not wanting an agent to get a percentage of his deals were in reference to his college career -- not his NFL representation.
—Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
An insulated delivery bag or backpack Notably, where freelancers wanting to deliver with a car also need auto insurance and a driver’s license, these requirements are waived for those delivering on two wheels.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
At that time, the other co-founders were sincerely questioning both Musk and Altman’s motivations for wanting to become OpenAI’s CEO.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
The book picks up after Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) have been together for 10 years, with the latter wanting to go public with their relationship.
—Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanting
Adjective
-
Wallace and her collaborators scrambled to get into the water; the whale was swimming in the wrong direction, toward some docks.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
-
What most people get wrong is conflating the theme of the exhibition with the dress code for the evening.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
With Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco and Ronny Mauricio all injured, the options are somewhat lacking.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
On the other hand, the playoffs showed how lacking Atlanta is in some areas.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mira began absent-mindedly rolling and unrolling a fine-tooth comb through her curls.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Like their Senate colleagues, the 49-member House GOP caucus was sharply split with 27 voting yes, 21 no, and one absent.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Preposition
-
The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
-
And the event went off without a security hitch, which was likely reassuring to members of Congress shaken by Saturday night's press dinner incident.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The one exception is at Punakha, which has two Mo Chhu Suites, which can be combined to form a two-bedroom configuration, making this setup the best pick for families traveling together or couples craving more room to spread out.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
-
In a time that feels loud, divided, and fast-moving, people are craving something simple and steady.—
Time,
Time,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Many reviewers, including petite shoppers, note that the pants hit at just the right length without needing alterations, and the inseam works well with both flats and heels.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
-
The one-day trial showed that a laser system can be set up quickly without needing complicated work in a shipyard.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
One could be forgiven, these days, for wishing that the United States were a little less central in world affairs.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
I'mPhaedra Trethan, a Phillies fan wishing godspeed to beloved longtime Yankees announcer John Sterling.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Additionally, reasons included enjoying the job, liking to work, being bored, and wanting to help others.—
Helen Dennis,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
After six brutal years of struggling to stay afloat, movie theater owners and operators arrived in Las Vegas for CinemaCon finally liking their odds of survival.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanting. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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