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
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Feb. 2026
If your child brings up wanting a smiley piercing, this is a natural opening to talk about why doing something like this at home, without professional training or sterile equipment, carries serious risks.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
With Parker coming in wanting to play a variety of defensive schemes, Clowney’s body type is somewhat of an issue.
—Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
Commentary and opinions In his latest column, Gustavo Arellano writes about the anti-Latino agenda behind Trump wanting Americans to have more kids.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
United States stars Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird won five gold medals in women’s basketball, but Durant says joining that club is not his motivation for wanting to go through another Olympic cycle.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Rio’s staunch griminess, dreaming of whacking his brother and wanting to cut his nephew’s tongue for snitching, drags Fxce out into the open sea.
—Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
Those wanting to watch or stream the BAFTA Film Awards can find details below.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2026
On that phone call with Kaufman, Weir grabbed a guitar and started singing snippets of campfire songs from his past, eagerly wanting to add new verses to some of them.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 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
Again, without at all wanting to be.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Feb. 2026
If your child brings up wanting a smiley piercing, this is a natural opening to talk about why doing something like this at home, without professional training or sterile equipment, carries serious risks.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
With Parker coming in wanting to play a variety of defensive schemes, Clowney’s body type is somewhat of an issue.
—Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
Commentary and opinions In his latest column, Gustavo Arellano writes about the anti-Latino agenda behind Trump wanting Americans to have more kids.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
United States stars Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird won five gold medals in women’s basketball, but Durant says joining that club is not his motivation for wanting to go through another Olympic cycle.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Rio’s staunch griminess, dreaming of whacking his brother and wanting to cut his nephew’s tongue for snitching, drags Fxce out into the open sea.
—Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
Those wanting to watch or stream the BAFTA Film Awards can find details below.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2026
On that phone call with Kaufman, Weir grabbed a guitar and started singing snippets of campfire songs from his past, eagerly wanting to add new verses to some of them.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanting
Adjective
-
Colin Gray, at his construction job, texted him what was wrong, but the teen didn’t respond, text evidence shows.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
-
There are no wrong moves, only infinite possibilities.—
Talia Abbas,
Vogue,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But Bob is historically tardy and his research and prep work is historically always pretty lacking.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The millions of taxpayer dollars saved by eliminating this wasteful expenditure can be used toward academic achievement, which by all accounts is severely lacking.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But, unlike in Libya, there’s no major rebellion under way inside Iran, nor even a coherent opposition and, absent mass defections from the security forces, little prospect of an armed challenge to the regime gaining significant ground on its own.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Days before his most recent media interview, Andy Reid’s Chiefs were conspicuously absent from the Super Bowl for the first time in four years — and from the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 Mar. 2026
Preposition
-
So without further delay, find dozens of excellent vacation rentals to take over this summer below.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Although the board voted without any discussion of the motion to extend protections brought forward by Horvath, members of the public did voice concerns.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Whether you're feeling burnt out by all the game day preparations, or really craving some brisket for a go-to weeknight meal, this recipe is for you.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2026
-
At the very least, something like the David bar is probably better than a Snickers for anyone craving a quick snack.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
So far, DeSantis’ administration has spent at least $573 million for immigration efforts over the past three years, including at the Everglades facility — without needing approval by state lawmakers, thanks to the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund created by the Legislature in 2022.—
Kate Payne,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The number of people needing vouchers spawned another problem.—
Timia Cobb
Breaking News Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
An embassy statement said the land borders with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey were open for individuals wishing to depart on their own.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Towns and cities wishing to dispose of snow in water must first notify DEEP’s Water Permitting and Enforcement Division.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
So maybe there’s another surprise at quarterback somewhere across the landscape over the next few months, and maybe teams will end up liking the passing prospects in the 2026 draft more than early projections suggest.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanting. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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